A Los Angeles County lifeguard has taken legal action against the county fire department, alleging religious discrimination and retaliation after refusing to fly the Progress Pride flag due to his Christian beliefs.
Initial Request and Subsequent Retaliation
Captain Jeffrey Little, a devout Christian, initially had his request for an exemption from raising the Progress Pride flag during Pride month accepted. However, this decision was later reversed by a superior who then removed him from his position when he maintained his refusal based on religious grounds.
“I felt like I was being targeted or entrapped by [Section] Chief [Arthur] Lester and my religious beliefs were not being taken seriously,” Captain Little wrote. “He did not notify me of this change and gave me no heads up that the flags would be flying.”
Legal Arguments and Claims
Paul Jonna, Little’s attorney, contends that his client made a principled stand by requesting a religious accommodation, a right protected by law. Despite this, Little faced threats, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation for adhering to his Christian beliefs. Jonna stated that accommodating such a request should have been straightforward and imposed no burden on the employer.
“In this case it’s so easy,” Jonna said. “There are situations where accommodating a religious observer would be difficult. This is not one of them. This is the most straightforward possible accommodation request. And yet they’re just ignoring him.”
Seeking Damages and Injunctive Relief
The lawsuit seeks damages as well as an injunction to prevent any future attempts to force Captain Little to fly the Pride flag again. The Thomas More Society indicates that the lawsuit aims for “damages and injunctive relief—a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction—to protect Captain Little’s religious rights during Pride Month.”
Fire Department’s Response
Despite these serious allegations, the fire department has chosen to remain silent, declining to comment on the ongoing litigation.
Source: Newsroom