City Dismissed Christian Fire Chaplain after He Shared Biblical Views on Sexuality: Lawsuit
A former volunteer chaplain for the Austin, Texas, Fire Department filed a federal lawsuit last week claiming the city violated his religious rights by firing him for his biblical views on LGBT issues.
Andrew Fox, an ordained Assemblies of God minister, served as lead chaplain of the department’s Fire Chaplaincy Program, which he launched in 2013.
But in 2021, he was dismissed after posting three blogs on his personal website about LGBT issues, transgenderism and sports. The blogs, according to the lawsuit, “pondered how Christianity might provide an alternative perspective, cherishing ‘logic and reason.’” For example, one blog entry discussed how allowing biological males in women’s sports “contradicts teaching in several Bible verses, such as: ‘The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.’ Proverbs 11:1 (NIV),” the suit says.
The lawsuit claims the city of Austin “retaliated” against Fox for “exercising his First Amendment rights.” The city violated his right to free speech and free exercise of religion and also violated the Texas Constitution, the suit says.
Chaplains are required to volunteer a minimum of 40 hours each quarter and to participate in one “ride-out” at a fire station each month. They also are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Alliance Defending Freedom is defending Fox.
“An eight-year career spent faithfully serving the spiritual needs of Austin’s firefighters meant little when it ran into the City’s censorious social-justice agenda and need for ideological uniformity,” the suit says. “For eight years, Dr. Fox walked side-by-side with first responders and their families, providing a listening ear and source of prayer, as they encountered deaths, suicides, and other tragedies. For eight years, Dr. Fox provided all firefighters with consistent care and equal treatment no matter who they were, including those in the LGBT community.
“For eight years, Dr. Fox treated everyone he encountered with dignity and respect as he ministered to others in accordance with his religious beliefs and fire department policy,” the suit says. “And he did this all voluntarily – without pay – out of love for the men and women who sacrificially serve their community. No one ever accused him of discriminating against anyone or treating anyone improperly.”
Under the city’s policy, the lawsuit claims, no one “who openly holds historic Christian beliefs” about the differences between men and women “can serve as a chaplain or in any other fire department position.”
“When the government can needlessly punish people for professing views outside of work on matters of ongoing public debate, that chills everyone’s speech and discourages democratic participation,” the suit says. “Americans cannot learn to respect each other’s differences when they face career-crushing consequences anytime their personal beliefs, expressed openly on their own time outside of work, contradict the ideological commitments of some HR officials.”
Ryan Bangert, senior counsel for ADF, said the case has national significance.
“No matter your personal view on whether men should be allowed to compete on women’s sports teams, it should deeply concern every American that the government can fire someone for expressing it,” Bangert said.
Photo courtesy: Joao Vincient Lewis/Unsplash
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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