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Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Louisiana pastor says he was fired from library job for objecting to trans pronoun use
A Louisiana pastor claimed he was fired from his second job at a local library this month for refusing to use a transgender employee's preferred pronouns. Luke Ash, lead pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, was a library technician at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library until he was fired on July 10, he recently told Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, on his show "Washington Watch." According to Ash, he was in conversation with a co-worker on July 7 about a new staffer that she was training. The new staff member, Ash says, was a biological female who preferred to be called by male pronouns. "I refused to use those preferred pronouns. The next day I was reprimanded by my supervisor and the head of reference, and Thursday morning I was fired," he told Perkins. According to WBRZ, Ash was handed a copy of the library's inclusivity policy, which says it fosters an environment where all employees are "welcomed, accepted and respected" and have the right to be addressed by their chosen name and pronouns. But the Christian employee said he couldn't "lie" and violate his religious convictions. He was notified a few days afterward that he had been terminated. At a library meeting last Thursday, a group of local pastors confronted the Baton Rouge library board and demanded Ash's immediate reinstatement. Pastor Lewis Richerson spoke at the meeting but was repeatedly interrupted by board members who told him his comments were not on the meeting agenda and therefore in violation of Louisiana's Open Meetings Law. "Sir, do we need to get security for you? Because you are not following open meeting laws," board president Candace Temple told the pastor. Richerson defended his comments to WAFB, saying that the group's demands pertained to the library budget. Over 30 pastors also penned a letter to the library board on July 17 calling on the board to change its policy and "correct this injustice." The East Baton Rouge Parish Library did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Newsweek
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Pastor Fired from Job After Ignoring Chosen Pronoun
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Louisiana pastor said he was fired from his job at a local library after he refused to use a co-worker's preferred pronouns. Luke Ash, the lead pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, said he was sacked from the East Baton Rouge Parish Library after a conversation on July 7. Newsweek has contacted the library and Stevendale Baptist Church, on behalf of Ash, via email, for comment. Why It Matters This incident is part of a broader national debate over the balance between workplace inclusivity policies and individual religious or philosophical beliefs. Libraries, schools and other institutions have implemented policies to create respectful environments for all employees, including protections for those who identify as transgender or non-binary. But some may feel that such policies may conflict with employees' religious beliefs, resulting in disciplinary action or job loss. Similar cases in education and other sectors have led to legal challenges, settlements, and public protests, with some leaping to the defense of religious rights and others emphasizing nondiscrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals. What To Know Ash, who had worked at the library as a technician for less than six months, described the events leading up to his dismissal to the conservative Christian political show Washington Watch with Tony Perkins. He explained that he was talking to a co-worker about a different colleague they were training when he did not use preferred pronouns on July 7. "That co-worker corrected me, said that the person she was training preferred to be called 'he' and I refused to use those preferred pronouns," Ash said. "The next day, I was reprimanded by my supervisor and the head of reference, and Thursday morning, I was fired for it." "I said, I'm not going to lie." Pastor Luke Ash, Lead Pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, shares how he was fired from his job last week at the local library for not using preferred pronouns. — Tony Perkins (@tperkins) July 15, 2025 Ash said he was given the option to use the colleague's preferred pronouns but still did not want to. "I'm not going to lie, I cannot do it," he told Perkins. Ash told ABC Baton Rouge affiliate broadcaster WBRZ-TV that he knew what he did was against the library's code of conduct for employees. Indeed, the policy, reviewed by WBRZ-TV, states that employees have the right to be referred to with their preferred pronouns. What People Are Saying Ash said: "I believe that there are religious convictions and there are other kinds of convictions, and when those things are in contradiction with each other, there has to be given preference for one or the other." Forum for Equality board member Logan Wolf told WBRZ-TV: "You just have to treat someone with basic decency, and I think that's at the crux person willingly violated policies and procedures of the EBR library towards another employee, and I think that's not okay. He's doing this because he wants to be aggrieved, instead of actually being aggrieved, and it's just not right." What Happens Next It is unclear whether Ash plans to pursue legal action against the library for his dismissal. Similar disputes nationally have resulted in lawsuits and public debate over rights and policy enforcement. The outcome of this case could hinge on the interpretation of anti-discrimination and religious freedom statutes in Louisiana and may contribute to ongoing discussions about the balance between workplace inclusivity and individual convictions.
