One of the largest grocery chains in America is facing a federal lawsuit for allegedly terminating two employees for refusing to wear an apron with a rainbow symbol in support of the gay and transgender community.
The lawsuit says the fired employees identify as Christians and cited religious objections as the reasoning behind their decision not to wear the symbol that they felt was an “endorsement of the LGBTQ community,” according to NBC News.
The suit was filed by Brenda Lawson, 72, and Trudy Rickerd, 57, who were employees at an Arkansas Kroger for several years before being disciplined and terminated last spring for declining to wear the aprons emblazoned with a rainbow heart.
Rickerd says in the lawsuit that she submitted a handwritten letter asking permission to wear a different apron but was denied.
“I have a sincerely held religious belief that I cannot wear a symbol that promotes or endorses something that is in violation of my religious faith. … I respect others who have a different opinion and am happy to work alongside others who desire to wear the symbol,” the letter said according to the lawsuit. “I am happy to buy another apron to ensure there is no financial hardship on Kroger.”
Kroger is being accused of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 by allegedly refusing to “accommodate the religious beliefs of Lawson and Rickerd, and disciplined and terminated the employees, who say they ‘believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible,’ because of their religious beliefs and in retaliation for requesting a religious accommodation.”
The complaint from Lawson and Rickerd asks the company to provide compensation to them for “emotional pain and suffering, humiliation, inconvenience, and loss of enjoyment of life” while also reforming the way they handle religious discrimination inside the company.
