Friday, October 29, 2010

Fired & Evicted for Being Too Christian

Daniel and Sharon Dixon were fired by The Hallmark Companies from managing an apartment complex and evicted from their apartment for being "too religious," because they displayed, in the rental office, stained glass artwork with flowers and the phrase "Consider the lilies... Matthew 6:28."

UPDATE 12/14/10: 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says "direct evidence of discrimination" warrants trial

-- From "Employees fired for being 'too religious'" posted at Kiowa County Signal 10/28/10

After a number of office visits, one day their supervisor asked if the artwork referred to Scripture. When Mrs. Dixon confirmed that it did, the supervisor asked her to remove it immediately. Mrs. Dixon indicated that she would bring her husband, a co-manager, into the discussion and left briefly to find him. When the Dixons returned minutes later, their supervisor had removed the artwork and told them not to bother looking for it because they were fired for being "too religious." They were ordered to vacate their apartment within seventy-two hours.

The Dixons filed a federal action charging Hallmark with religious discrimination, but a federal district court judge ruled summarily against them . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Firing for being 'too religious' challenged" by Bob Unruh © 2010 WorldNetDaily 10/28/10

"I believe we're going to get a reversal [of the district court's dismissal of the case]," [Mathew] Staver [founder of Liberty Counsel told WND after the arguments were completed [at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals]. "When opposing counsel [began arguments], the justices peppered him with questions about how should this not go to a jury."

Their claims under Title VII and Title VIII that prohibit discrimination in employment and housing on account of religion were rejected at the trial level, sending the case into today's arguments at the 11th Circuit.

Staver told WND that the company has the right to determine what appears on the walls of its property, but the removal of the artwork with the dismissal for being "too religious" is a symptom of a larger problem at the company.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.