A Pittsburgh area same-sex couple was expecting to receive the wedding programs for their upcoming wedding from Vistaprint. What was supposed to say “Celebration” and “Welcome to Andrew and Stephen’s wedding” instead were pamphlets that said “The supreme tempter is Satan, who uses our weakness to lead us into sin.”
Naturally, they were not happy.
The couple, Andrew Borg and Stephen Heasley, are now suing Vistaprint, alleging the pamphlets “were clearly sent to intimidate, threaten and harass Plaintiffs because they are gay men,” according to The Washington Post.
“Vistaprint didn’t just choose not to serve our clients because they were gay,” the couple’s attorney said, according to CBS Pittsburgh. “As abhorrent is that is, what they did, ultimately, in this case is one step worse. They took the opportunity to attack our clients.”
Gay couple sues Vistaprint over discriminatory pamphlets
Ugh #vistaprint good bye to you @Vistaprint https://t.co/zxusanwu1c— PhillyChitChat (@HughE_Dillon) January 17, 2018
Vistaprint CEOs Trynka Shineman and Robert Keane posted a statement on the company’s website, apologizing to Borg and Heasley.
“Vistaprint in no way condones—and does not tolerate—discrimination against any of our customers based on their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation,” they said in the statement. “We have encouraged members of the LGBTQ community to use our services to help celebrate their life events for many years, and have published thousands of wedding invitations, programs and other content for same sex couples.”
The statement goes on to say that the company has launched an investigation into how and why Borg and Heasley received the pamphlets.
“What we have learned to date is that materials that were intended to be printed for one customer were incorrectly sent to this couple by a third-party fulfiller,” the statement said. “We, and our partner, are committed to understand how and why this happened. If we determine that any individual played a deliberate role in this mix up, we will take strong action.”
Further, the company reached out to the couple to personally apologize, and said it sent out company-wide communication, reaffirming its commitment to equality and diversity for its staff and customers.
The couple is still proceeding to sue Vistaprint for unspecified damages, per CBS News.
