Atheist Firefighter Can Move Ahead With Hostile Work Environment Claim

In Queen v. City of Bowling Green, (WD KY, July 20, 2018), a Kentucky federal district court allowed an atheist firefighter to move ahead with his claim of hostile work environment based on religion. The court, analyzing his claim under the Kentucky Civil Rights Act, said in part:

Defendants argue that Queen cannot prove the religious harassment he  experienced was unwanted. Rather, Defendants contend that jokes,  pranks, and teasing are all part of the fraternal environment at the Fire Department that Queen enjoyed and participated in.  However, since the Defendants are  moving  for  summary  judgment, the Court must consider the facts in a light favorable to Queen.  According to Queen, none of the harassment he experienced was welcomed.  As he tells it, he was interrogated about his religion by coworkers and forced against his will to participate in Bible studies.  Ultimately, he claims that he was threatened and physically assaulted.  For this reason, there is enough evidence for a reasonable jury to conclude that the harassment Queen experienced was unwanted.

Friendly Atheist blog has more on the decision.