Twin Cities-based Best Buy has been accused of religious discrimination in the latest expose from investigative journalist James O’Keefe.
O’Keefe Media Group released undated recordings between Jacksonville-based Best Buy employee Enis Sujak and another man identified as Sujak’s manager, Mike Hirsch.
“He was telling me that it was work appropriate to have all this LGTBQ stuff that’s going on in the office and everywhere else, but it’s not okay for me to be a Christian myself, and have a Bible … at the office. Or have a cross or a Quran or anything like that,” Sujak told O’Keefe.
OMG EXCLUSIVE: Second whistleblower reveals that @BestBuy discriminates against religions. Geek Squad member has audio proof that the company refuses to allow Christian employees to display crosses while requiring them to attend LGBTQ workshops. pic.twitter.com/t6DDJG7Lo6
— James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) August 10, 2023
Sujak, a member of Best Buy’s Geek Squad, can be heard in the recordings asking why it is acceptable to have gay pride paraphernalia all over the office but not “Christian stuff.”
“They’re not the same,” Hirsch replied, according to the recordings. “You can 1,000% choose religion.”
Hirsch went on to tell Sujak that he isn’t able to display religious items in the office because he is “choosing to believe.”
“Because you are choosing to believe in Christianity or Muslim or whatever, you choose that,” whereas LGBTQ people don’t choose their sexual orientation, Hirsch explained.
He then said LGBTQ people are harassed and “tortured” for their identity, “even in America.” “They get a whole month to themselves, bro,” Sujak can be heard responding.
“There are people like you and even worse than you that are so anti-that,” Hirsch said to Sujak.
Apparent videos of Sujak’s workspace show several Pride flags and decorations on walls and doors. According to O’Keefe, there were also “LGBTQ materials in the morning meetings” at Sujak’s office.
O’Keefe said that Sujak objected to a presentation at one of their morning meetings and walked out, questioning why the material was included in a required work meeting. The person delivering the presentation took offense to his behavior, Sujak said.
“Her name is Athena. And she took offense to how I handled the whole situation of just kind of walking out as she was trying to teach us about the LGBTQ history,” Sujak said. “So she ended up putting more Pride flags because of me walking out.”
He explained that he kept his response “very respectful” and that he and a coworker simply stood up and walked out to begin working instead of “just sitting there and listening to all that garbage.”
Best Buy did not respond to Alpha News’ request for comment.
Best Buy recently came under fire for a discriminatory management program, also exposed by O’Keefe Media Group, that only allows non-white applicants.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
