Lifeguard Captain’s Religious Accommodation Case Heads to Federal Trial

A long-running religious liberty case out of Los Angeles County is now headed for federal trial, and the man at the center of it has been holding the line for two years. Captain Jeffrey Little, a 22-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s lifeguard division, sued the county in May 2024 after he was disciplined for refusing to personally raise the Progress Pride flag at his station during Pride Month. Little, a devout Christian represented by the Thomas More Society, says raising the flag would violate his sincerely held religious beliefs. He is not asking the county to remove the flag from its facilities or end its policy. He is asking for a religious accommodation that allows him to step aside while someone else raises it. His lawsuit alleges that after he requested the accommodation through proper channels, he faced retaliation, harassment, and discriminatory discipline, and that a division chief told him his religious beliefs don’t matter. The county disputes that claim. Following a hearing last week, a federal judge issued a sealed ruling on both sides’ motions for summary judgment, clearing the path for the case to move to trial. The First Amendment guarantees every American the free exercise of religion, and federal civil rights law requires reasonable accommodation in the workplace. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” Jeffrey Little did not protest, walk off the job, or burn anything down. He filed a paper, he asked for an accommodation, and he is letting a court of law decide. That is exactly how a free country is supposed to handle disagreement. What do you think a fair accommodation looks like in a case like this? #truth #accountability #justice