A Christian 19-year employee in Illinois has sued FedEx for religious discrimination and retaliation after being investigated, demoted, and soon without a job, as a result of a conversation initiated by a fellow employee.
-- From "FedEx sued for bizarre and harassing acts of discrimination and retaliation against a conservative evangelical Christian" Press release posted at Culture Campaign 9/4/09
An employee of a Fortune 100 company answered questions about conservative Christian views and was delivered a career-ending edict to stop all religious conversation. Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney Jason Craddock, of New Lenox, Illinois, filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, on behalf of Eric Weathers, against his former employer, FedEx Corporate Services.
Eric Weathers merely answered his fellow employee's questions about the Bible and as a result was subject to a corporate investigation and prohibited from engaging in conversations about anything religious, including discussion about basic things such as his Bible college degree, seminary studies, or church attendance. The investigation produced no true findings that Weathers had violated any FedEx policy. However he was still warned to "stop all religious conversation." Within four months Weathers, who was known for his "stellar career" during his 19 years with FedEx, was demoted to a position he held 18 years earlier as part of what appears as a retaliatory campaign.
When such stringent restrictions were placed on his speech, Weathers researched FedEx policy and found no prohibition on religious conversation. When Weathers questioned the FedEx Human Resources department he was told that his religious speech was an "act detrimental to the company." The policy the HR representative pointed out would put religious conversation on par with theft, illegal use of drugs, physical violence, sexual harassment, and falsification of records.
"If conscience and faith are obliterated in the workplace, nothing will be left but salt devoid of savor, which will neither preserve corporate America from decay, nor flavor it with the blessed taste and smell of the Gospel of Christ," Craddock said. "Conscience and faith must be protected in the employment context, for the sake of individual souls and the soul of our nation."
To read the entire press release, CLICK HERE.
