US: Sacked homophobic fire chief to sue the City of Atlanta
A fire chief, who was fired for publishing a book comparing being gay to bestiality, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta.
Former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran has filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta for firing him after he published a book calling homosexuality ‘vile’.
Cochran published a book called ‘Who Told You That You Are Naked’, which compared gay sex to bestiality because it ‘dishonours’ God.
He was then fired by Mayor Kasim Reed, who said he was ‘deeply disturbed’ by the book and that Cochran had violated the city’s Code of Conduct. Cochran has now filed a lawsuit against Mayor Reed and The City of Atlanta.
Cochran is being represented by attorneys from The Alliance Defending Freedom, an organisation that defends Christians from consequences when they express their views.
ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman made the announcement on Wednesday. He said: “Americans are guaranteed the freedom to live without fear of being fired because of their beliefs and thoughts. The city of Atlanta is not above the Constitution and federal law. In America, a religious or ideological test cannot be used to fire a public servant.”
Mayor Reed told The Atlanta Business Chronicle that he would not back down from his decision. He stated that the only way he would rehire Cochran is with a US Supreme Court order.
