Paige Rogers, a sophomore at Boyce College, in Louisville, Kentucky, was fired from her job at Heine Brothers Coffee after working a shift in which two coworkers initiated conversations with her about her Christian faith and her views on marriage and other sensitive topics.
First Liberty Institute and the law firm Sturgill Turner have filed a discrimination charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Rogers’ behalf.
The complaint explains that on Oct. 1, 2025, she worked a shift with two employees she had not worked with before. One of the coworkers asked which college Rogers attends. When she heard that Rogers attends a Christian school, she asked, “So you’re waiting till marriage then?” Rogers said yes, and the coworker seemed distressed and said she had just broken up with someone. Later in the shift, the coworker continued to ask questions about Rogers’ beliefs.
“In response,” Rogers states in the complaint, “I respectfully shared about God’s design for marriage and sex, and that while I don’t judge anyone for their decisions, my faith plays a huge role in how I approach the topic, and that I seek to honor God with my decisions.”
The complaint says that the second coworker also initiated a conversation about the Bible and mentioned that another employee had made the comment that Christians should share the Gospel without judgment.
“I agreed,” Rogers states. “After this, I shared my own testimony with her. I shared how God had saved me and changed my life, and that it is God who changes your heart when you become saved.”
That coworker said she was in a relationship with two partners and asked if she would have to stop loving them if she became a Christian. “I respectfully shared my belief that homosexuality is a sin but that we are all sinners, and it is never our place to judge someone else.”
Twelve days later, Rogers’ employer notified her by text message that she was being terminated because the conversations were “unwelcome and offensive to others.” In a text conversation, Rogers pointed out that the others had initiated the conversations. She asked to see the video footage that the coffee shop said it had reviewed but was told that it was not company policy to let her see it.
“The idea that an employer can fire an employee for simply voicing a religious belief, after being invited to do so, is chilling,” said Cliff Martin, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute. “No employee should have to hide their faith in order to keep their job.”
