RUSSIAVILLE, Ind.--A gay couple in central Indiana got married and went to file their taxes. Now both the couple and the accountant say they’re victims of harassment.
Bailey and Samantha Brazzel say they went Nancy Fivecoate of Carter Tax Service in Russiaville, but were turned away because they are married. That surprised them because they had gone to Fivecoate for the last four years. Bailey says she didn’t expect to have to defend her marriage.
“We went in there and sat down just like we always would. Then she said, ‘How are you filing this year?’ I said ‘married joint’ and that’s kind of when it went downhill. I didn’t go in there to talk about my marriage. I went in there to file my taxes. That’s all I wanted,” Bailey said.
Bailey said both her and Samanta Brazzel deserve to be treated fairly.
“I don’t need anyone to agree with my lifestyle or things that I do, but if you’re going to run a business, you should be able to work with all types of people,” Bailey said.
The accountant, Nancy Fivecoate, says she’s the one being harassed because the story has gone viral. She says she’s received harrassing calls and emails since her decision.
Fivecoate says she’s a Christian and has nothing against gay people, but she believes that marriage is between a man and a woman.
While several cities across the state have passed ordinances protecting people from being discriminated against based on sexual orientation, Indiana has no such law, nor does Russiaville or Howard County at the local level.
(PHOTO: WISH TV)
