Religious Man Sues Los Angeles County for Not Letting Him Work From Home in June To Avoid ‘Pride’ Flag, Celebrations

A Christian man is suing Los Angeles County for not letting him work remotely for the whole month of June to avoid the “Pride Progress Flag” and celebrations at his office. In a federal lawsuit, a civil engineer, Eric Batman, says the county is engaging in religious discrimination by not letting him work from home in June.The lawsuit says that Mr. Batman has worked for the county for 24 years and has “performed his duties with excellence and never requested or required an accommodation.”However, the filing says that the plaintiff’s streak of not asking for an accommodation changed in 2023 when the county directed all government departments to fly the “Pride Progress Flag.”“The policy revisions also directed the government offices to adopt ways to demonstrate that all government offices celebrate so-called ‘Pride Month’ and make its celebration overt, express, and universal,” the lawsuit says. “As a result of his sincerely held religious beliefs and a conflict with his employer’s open and notorious celebration of something Batman considers a sin, Batman requested a simple accommodation of working remotely during the one month of the year that his employment requirements conflict with his sincerely held religious beliefs.”Lawyers from the firm representing Mr. Batman, Liberty Counsel, note that he currently works remotely part-time.But Los Angeles County allegedly rejected his request to work from home for the month of June in 2024 and 2025 because it conflicted with the county’s “inclusive and welcoming environment for all.”The lawsuit says officials recommended that Mr. Batman use a back door or seek mental health counseling if the “Pride” flag caused him distress. While Los Angeles County denied Mr. Batman’s religious accommodation request, it has let religious employees work remotely for other reasons, such as Ramadan, the lawsuit says. Mr. Batman’s attorneys argue the county’s refusal to let him work remotely violates Title VII, the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act. The lawsuit seeks a court order that would declare that the county violated Mr. Batman’s rights and asks for unspecified damages. The founder of Liberty Counsel, Mat Staver, said in a statement, “Forcing employees to violate their faith in the workplace is offensive to the First Amendment.”“The Constitution does not allow the government — or a government employer — to put citizens in the impossible position of choosing between their conscience and their livelihood,” he said. “When the state compels employees to act against their sincerely held religious beliefs, it crosses a constitutional line that courts have repeatedly said cannot be crossed.”Los Angeles County did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment by the time of publication.

Religious Man Sues Los Angeles County for Not Letting Him Work From Home in June To Avoid ‘Pride’ Flag, Celebrations

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