No Hablo Español

Mike Gray works for the Arapahoe County, Colorado, roads and bridge department. He also owns a lawn service business on the side. That's not illegal, but he could lose his county job because of it. Gray routinely drives a pickup to work and hauls a trailer with his lawn service tools behind it. The trailer has the name and telephone number of his business. It also carries a sign saying "Lawn Services Done With Pride!! By An English Speaking American." Gray says many people in the lawn-care business don't speak English, and he just wants customers to know he can communicate with them. But the county has told him if he drives the vehicle to work again with the sign uncovered, or wears a U.S. border Patrol cap given to him by a friend, he'll be fired. A letter from his supervisor said the sign and the hat are "reprehensible and discriminatory to our non-English speaking and/or Hispanic workforce" and violates county rules on diversity and harrassment.