Court okays fire chief’s lawsuit after he was fired for Christian views on marriage
Terminated Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran's lawsuit for discrimination can go forward, a federal court ruled Wednesday. The news comes in a press release issued by the Alliance Defending Freedom , which is representing Cochran. ADF says the court's decision was based upon the orthodox Christian's "primary claims of retaliation, discrimination based on his viewpoint, and the violation of his constitutionally protected freedoms of religion, association, and due process (firing without following proper procedure)." Cochran lost his job in January after publishing a book about Christianity in which he upheld Christian teachings on marriage and sexuality. The city's mayor suspended Cochran without pay for 30 days and ordered him to take " sensitivity training ." Cochran was eventually fired despite a city investigation that found the fire chief had not engaged in discrimination. “A religious or ideological test cannot be used to fire a pub...