Former Nehls employee says he was pushed out of his job because he is gay

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WASHINGTON – A gay former staffer for U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Richmond) sued the congressman's office Friday, saying he was effectively forced out of his position because of a history of homophobic behavior by the representative and his chief of staff.

Alex Chadwell, who served as Nehls' parliamentary correspondent and field representative from 2021 to 2023, claimed he was subjected to homophobic comments and lost his duties after Nehls confirmed that Chadwell was gay.

“The Congressman, his Chief of Staff, and his Special Counsel routinely made offensive comments about homosexuals directed at the Plaintiff,” Chadwell's lawsuit states. “Taken together, the hostile environment was so severe and/or pervasive that the Plaintiff's terms and conditions of employment were modified and resulted in constructive termination.”

Nehl's office denied the allegations.

“Congressman Nehls' office did not and does not discriminate based on any unlawful factors,” Nehls spokeswoman Emily Matthews said in a statement. “Mr. Chadwell's claim is completely baseless and the allegations of sexual harassment are completely false. The office intends to vigorously defend itself in this matter and is confident it will be exonerated once all the facts are known.”

Chadwell's family was friends with Nehls and Chadwell worked in Nehls' Washington office, according to the lawsuit. During that time, Nehls' chief of staff, Robert Schroeder, often made derogatory remarks about homosexuals, including “gays go to hell” and that men who were not “male” or “masculine” were more likely to be gay. Schroeder also instructed Chadwell not to meet with gay voters, according to the lawsuit.

Schroeder once said of gay sexual relations, “I'm not into that at all – I don't like that lifestyle,” the lawsuit says. He also said his office would not support LGBTQ legislation and made derogatory remarks about Muslims and Native Americans.

According to the lawsuit, first reported by Politico, Nehls also made homophobic remarks, including claiming that the office did not support homosexuals.

Chadwell transferred to Nehl's district office, citing the climate in the Washington office. Chadwell said he would have stayed in the Washington office otherwise. The lawsuit says Schroeder encouraged Chadwell to leave the office because he is gay.

“Mr. Schroeder soon began telling the plaintiff that he had no future or advancement opportunities in office and that he should look for other opportunities,” the lawsuit states. “Schroeder did this because the plaintiff is gay and he did not want him to work for Representative Nehls.”

Schroeder told Chadwell on his last day of work that his “lifestyle” made him incompatible with the office, the lawsuit says.

“Mr. Chadwell was deeply offended and disturbed that the office continued to isolate, marginalize and harass him because of his sexual orientation until his last day in office,” the lawsuit states.

Nehls, who was first elected in 2021 and represents the Houston suburb of Richmond, is a boisterous presence on Capitol Hill. He is an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump and often wears sneakers with Trump logos on campus. He wore a T-shirt with Trump's face on it at the State of the Union address and went so far as to recommend Trump for speaker of the House during last year's vacancy.

Disclosure: Politico has provided financial support to The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. A full list can be found here.

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