Sunday, July 29, 2007

Faith-Based Job Termination

Dear ACLU and Illinois HRC

I'm temp employee with _____________________. Last summer I joined a Freethinkers group and gradually felt empowered enough as a member of the group to display a "Darwin Fish" emblem on the back of my vehicle. (The Darwin Fish is similar to the Christian symbol of the fish, but has feet added to depict evolution, and the name Darwin within.)

Recently I was temporarily assigned to ________________________ to help ______________________________. One day I was asked by an employee about the emblem on my car, and I explained that I was an atheist.

They didn't seem to have a problem with it at first, but gradually I noticed more people were ignoring me, or they would stop talking when I was nearby. It became obvious that word was spreading about my non-belief. People started openly talking about their Christianity. I was told that some of the upper management at Horace Mann were very religious.

On ___________________ I was called by my representative at _______________ and told that my assignment was terminated. He said that people at ________________ claimed that I complained about doing what I was told, that I was too slow, and that I had a bad attitude.

During that time there was not a moment that I complained about doing a task, not a moment that I did not do what I was told, and I absolutely deny having a bad attitude. I believe that someone at _______________________ fabricated claims against my work ethic to have me removed from my job.

I never received any complaint about my performance in person or in writing until I was told by ______________________ that my assignment was terminated.

As a veteran of the military I have an outstanding record of dedicated service to my country. I earned an Associate degree and a Bachelors degree with higher than average grades, and I have a work history without so much as a written warning or recorded disciplinary action.

I know that I am not alone in facing this kind of situation. As a veteran of the military, I am highly offended that U.S. Constitution, for which I served, could be shirked by those who claim its protection for their religious freedom.

If you feel from this that I may have a case, more detailed information can be made available regarding names.

Your participation will go down in history regardless of your actions following the receipt of this email.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Investigator finds reasonable grounds for claim of atheism firing

An article in the Boston Globe lends itself as evidence that Human Rights and Christian Rights appear to be unequal:

LEWISTON, Maine --An investigator for the Maine Human Rights Commission has found reasonable grounds for a manager's claim that he was fired from his job at DeCoster farms because he's an atheist.

Cacy Cantwell says Austin "Jack" DeCoster told him before he was fired that they might have to "part ways" because Cantwell didn't believe in God.
[http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2007/05/04/investigator_finds_reasonable_grounds_for_claim_of_atheism_firing/?p1=email_to_a_friend ]