- Report: #1162852
Complaint Review: Kay Disbennett - Columbus Ohio
Reported By:
Frederick R. Templeton -
Erie, Pennsylvania,
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Kay Disbennett
901 Woody Hayes Drive Columbus, 43210 Ohio, USA
Phone:
614-292-4397
Web:
www.osu.edu
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Kay Disbennett Refusal to release deceased employee's pension/contract funds to family, due to sexual orientation Columbus Ohio
I'm writing this for Michael, a friend that suffered not only the death of a loved one, but was subject to cruel, discriminatory, and heartless behavior by the personnel in the Ohio State University Payroll department, specifically Ms. Kay Disbennett.
After Jesse (a professor at Ohio State), Michael's same-sex partner of 10 years passed away, in May, 2013, Ms. Disbennett and the Ohio State University (using current Ohio state law as back-up) prevented Michael from drawing the remainder of his partner's pension and contract monies. When Michael asked Jesse's mother to get involved, Ohio State continued their mean-spirited behavior. Additionally, Jesse and Michael were legally married in New York City, in March, 2012. Michael and Jesse had signed a Domestic Partnership agreement with Ohio State University in September, 2012, although they were not informed that the state of Ohio and The Ohio State University would not recognize their marriage.
Why hasn't Ms. Disbennett been fired? Doesn't Ohio State University realize that by condoning her behavior, they are part of the problem? Is bigotry something that Ohio State is proud of?
During the complaint process, other personnel at Ohio State University were contacted, to include Jesse's former Department. Only one person responded, due to an article that was printed in the Ohio State University student newspaper in April, 2014. He claimed to be a "Gay Rights Advocate" that worked with the OSU faculty. He insisted that there was not a problem--when, in fact, there was!
I was told by the "Gay Rights Advocate" that the letters that I wrote, along with the Letter to the Student Editor, had nothing to do with the check that was received by Jesse's mother.
A week later, Jesse's mother (not the spouse/partner), received a check for all of the monies EXCEPT $4,000. The remaining $4,000 is in a separate fund and will take more time to retrieve. As of July, 2014, Jesse's mother has not received the remaining funds.
In the meantime, Ohio State has not apologized for their obviously discriminatory behavior, and continues to drag out this issue.
The bottom line is that Ohio State and the State of Ohio are not friendly or good for gay people, their families, friends, and extended families. Dragging the loved ones of deceased employees through the mud is evidently the way that Ohio State University does "business." They do not realize how vulnerable families are when they have lost a loved one. They must be proud of their discriminatory behavior, and how they have suckered highly-qualified gay professionals--and their loved ones--into signing employment contracts.
