Keith Connolly

GoDaddy Rejects Christian Engineer Based on Religion and Weight

Keith Connolly

Keith Connolly, a software engineer, has accused GoDaddy for religious and weight discrimination for his Christian beliefs and size.

Fast-growing internet domain company GoDaddy is amid a discrimination controversy. A software engineer job applicant is accusing GoDaddy of discrimination because of his obesity and Christian faith. Keith Connolly, an Arizona-based computer software specialist, sought a software developer job at GoDaddy a year ago, and now an internal recruiting email from GoDaddy is making headlines.

Connolly’s job application was rejected via email, and that the email included comments by GoDaddy’s recruitment team that Connolly finds offensive and discriminating.The email, sent on April 29, 2014, was a standard reply for a job application, but it was the text at the bottom that was revealing. It said: “about keith he’s great for the job in skills but he looks worse for wear do we really want an obeese [sic] christian? is that what our new image requires of us.”

Connolly’s attorney Casey Yontz said that Connolly didn’t read the message at the bottom at first. He archived it, and a few months later as he was going through his email he read the last part of the document for the first time. Connolly and Yontz wanted to press discrimination charges against GoDaddy, but the case was time-barred under employment discrimination law – in other words, it had passed the statute of limitations.

Connolly, however, said that he was offended by the incident, adding that “I’m a very, very religious person and being Christian is a huge part of who I am, so when you’re attacking not only how I look but my faith (too) it’s a double whammy.”

GoDaddy has rejected any allegations of discrimination. The internet company has responded with a statement that said “GoDaddy intends to vigorously defend itself against these false allegations, including pursuing legal action for fabricating this claim. We believe the allegations are completely without merit and unequivocally deny them.”

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