An Iowa man who claimed he was fired from his job for wearing T-shirts with Bible verses during Pride Month has settled his lawsuit with his former employer. Lawyers for the employer argued they did not punish him for expressing his beliefs or for filing complaints.
Pride ceremony sparks religious expression
Cosby “Corey” Cunningham stated in June 2023 that his then-employer, Eaton Corp., held a Pride Month ceremony in which company officials raised a Pride flag in front of its main building, encouraged employees to wear specific colors that represent LGBTQ+ pride, and sent emails to employees offering Pride-themed T-shirts for purchase.
Cunningham began wearing Bible-themed shirts to work, showing his religious beliefs. According to the lawsuit, one of Cunningham’s shirts read, “Pride goes before destruction, an arrogant spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18.” Another shirt read, “Taking back the rainbow. Genesis 9:13.” A third read, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6.”
Then, on July 20, 2023, Cunningham was asked to attend a meeting with the global power management company’s human resources (HR) department. In that meeting, HR told him that his religious T-shirts were making some employees feel “uncomfortable” and were “inflammatory” toward the LGBTQ+ community.
Company denies religious accommodation
Cunningham had asked HR to show him, in writing, which company policy he was supposedly violating by wearing those shirts. He also asked for religious accommodation to wear the T-shirts, which the company denied.
According to the lawsuit, Eaton threatened to fire him over the issue and sent him home twice for wearing the shirts. After a few meetings, Eaton fired Cunningham in August 2023, citing the company’s “harassment-free policy.”
Formal complaints and federal lawsuit
Cunningham filed a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal agency that handles workplace discrimination claims, and another complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, a state agency that handles similar claims at the state level.
In August 2024, after the EEOC and Iowa processes were completed, Cunningham filed a lawsuit in federal court.
Cunningham accused Eaton of religious discrimination by not accommodating his religious beliefs mistreating him because of those beliefs.
Case dismissed following settlement
In response to Cunningham’s claims of religious discrimination, Eaton’s legal team argued that Cunningham was not entitled to any damages, as reported by KCRG. Court documents show the case was dismissed on May 20. However, the specifics of the settlement remain unclear.
