When Robert Huskey died at the age of 86, his husband, Jack Zawadski, proceeded with prior plans to bury him at Picayune Funeral Homes in Mississippi. Upon discovering that Zawadski and Huskey were a same-sex couple, the funeral home refused to transport and cremate Huskey’s body. Zawadski has filed suit under theories of breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent misrepresentation. This case may bring into question Mississippi HB 1523, which protects the rights of a business to turn away LGBTQ customers.
See Mark Joseph Stern, Man Sues Anti-Gay Mississippi Funeral Home for Refusing to Cremate His Husband, Slate, May 2, 2017.
Special thanks to Deborah Matthews for bringing this article to my attention.
