The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed suit against a Franklin, Wisconsin, resort on behalf of an employee fired from the ski resort for posting Bible verses.
The man was employed between January 2022 and June 2023 at Crystal Ridge Ski Area, LLC, formerly known as Rock Snowpark. After the operations manager discovered the employee posted religious content and Bible verses on his personal social media account, the manager met with the employee and informed him that his posts were “discriminatory to gay people.” The posts did not contain any references to his workplace or other employees, according to the lawsuit.
Three days later, the employee posted more Bible verses. Although the manager had agreed that he could continue posting Scripture, the employee was fired the same day.
The employee then filed suit on July 2, on the grounds of religious discrimination.
The lawsuit, which argues that the termination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, states that the filing is “to correct unlawful employment practices on the basis of religion and to provide appropriate relief to an aggrieved individual who was adversely affected by such practices.” The document also called the resort’s action “intentional” and “done with malice or with reckless indifference.”
The resort told Fox News that the decision was not based on religious beliefs but “performance issues and policy violations” before stating it had no further comments on the issue.
The EEOC released a press release in which Andrea Lucas, the EEOC’s acting chair, advocated for the former employee.
“All employees have the right to earn a living free from discrimination based on their religious beliefs,” Lucas said. “While employers must remain alert to potential harassment in the workplace, religious statements made outside of work that do not reference or impact anyone in the workplace do not constitute unlawful harassment.”
The court is being asked to instill policies in the park where the ski resort is located that safeguard employees from discrimination due to religious beliefs. The lawsuit is also advocating for a permanent injunction to prevent the resort from committing further discrimination. The lawsuit is also asking for compensations for the former employee.
