Conn. Firefighter Who Is Jehovah's Witness Files Federal Discrimination Lawsuit

by Bangalore 24 Replies latest jw friends

  • Bangalore
    Bangalore
  • carla
    carla
    the ad won't let me read the article, can you post it? or tell us what his problem is?
  • ctrwtf
    ctrwtf

    Hello? If you're going to become a firefighter you are going to HAVE to march in parades and participate in flag raising ceremonies. No wonder he's being harassed. If a church or gay bar is on fire is he going to stand down?

    He should be fired. Sorry for the pun.

  • DJS
    DJS

    It should be an interesting case. Fire departments, even if they are municipal or government, are subject to the same hiring laws as the rest of us. The courts will determine, among other things, whether marching in parades and flag ceremonies are essential tasks or responsibilities of being a fire-fighter.

    Even if the job description includes these things, and it is doubtful they do, the courts will determine whether they are essential functions, whether employees knew about them before being hired, whether they are included in written, posted job descriptions and whether they have implemented the processes consistently.

    It will be difficult for the entity to make a case that these are essential functions, but not impossible. A few weeks ago we discussed this on the gay rights' OP. Some believed that an X-tian minister who was employed by a government entity for the sole purpose of conducting civil marriage ceremonies could use religion as a reason not to marry gays. Since marrying people is an essential function of the job (I mean, come on, it's the only function of the job), they likely have no legal recourse. And shouldn't. As for the Dub fire-fighter???

  • pbrow
    pbrow

    During my time as a fireman I was never required to raise the flag, march in parades or give blood or join the bone marrow registry for that matter. These are just things you do as a brother on the job. If you do not do them you will be (or should be) destroyed in the kitchen. Getting blasted from every direction from 11 Type-A personalities has a way of destroying cognitive dissonance in a man. Although if this blowjob has already filed a federal lawsuit he is a lost cause. Hopefully for the job's sake the men in the house push him out.

    pbrow

  • OnTheWayOut
    OnTheWayOut

    I hate to side with a JW but an individual firefighter doesn't need to be involved in raising or lowering the flag at the station. He can go clean toilets or windows or tools while someone else gets that part done. It's really that simple.

    Some smaller municipalities will insist that a member participate in parades, afterall- if they all had a choice, they probably would not have anyone in the parade. It could be mandatory to march but not to participate in any other way. A court may rule that religious objection is a good enough reason to sit it out, so such a person could be left to monitor radios or the station house or something essential while others are marching.

  • Clambake
    Clambake

    So

    You are rude and disrespectful to fellow co-workers , community and country and repay them with a lawsuit ?? Because you believe they are hostile towards you ? It’s like calling someone “false religion “ and wondering why you get doors slammed in your face.

    Freaking parasite. For people that claim to be no part of the world they sure don’t mind filing needless lawsuits looking for a free meal.

  • WHATSGOINGON
    WHATSGOINGON

    In the U.K we were always told we could not join the fire or police service because we are not appreciating the sanctity of life - in other words we are taking our life in our hands / putting our lives in a dangerous situation and Jehovah does not like this as he views life as sacred... what a crock.

    I see on the bethel happy video that the bethel has its own fire truck.....

    Double standards at work again I see.

    Unbelievable....

    WGO

  • berrygerry
    berrygerry

    He also can't do anything that could be construed as worshipping anything man-made, such as an American flag, he said, so he also declines to take part in flag-raising ceremonies at the fire station.

    An employer, for example, may ask an employee to raise or lower a flag displayed at a building. Whether an individual would do so or not depends on his personal view of the circumstances. If raising or lowering the flag is part of a special ceremony, with people standing at attention or saluting the flag, then performing this act amounts to sharing in the ceremony.
    On the other hand, if no ceremony accompanies the raising or lowering of the flag, then these actions constitute nothing more than performing such tasks as preparing the building for use, unlocking and locking the doors, and opening and closing the windows. In such instances, the flag is simply an emblem of the State, and raising or lowering it among other routine tasks is a matter for personal decision based on the dictates of one’s Bible-trained conscience

    Sep 15, 2002 WT p. 25

  • berrygerry
    berrygerry

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