And those pesky uber-Christian coworkers, who also claim to be the biological son of God have lost.

From Cleveland.com :

A federal appeals court has delivered a major victory to the gay-rights movement by ruling that Ohio officials can discipline public employees who discriminate, even if the workers say they are following religious beliefs.

The decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati is an important legal development because it means employers can enforce workplace policies that forbid bias based on sexual orientation.

Had the ruling gone the other way, those workplace policies could have been in jeopardy. It appears to be the first case of its kind from Ohio and it may yet be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case involves a lengthy dispute between a Protestant prison chaplain and his bosses in the state prison system. They clashed over the chaplain's refusal to let an openly homosexual inmate direct a penitentiary choir in 2002.

William Akridge, a Baptist minister, welcomed gay inmates to his worship services but would not allow homosexuals to become leaders in the nondenominational events.

A prisoner filed a discrimination complaint against Akridge, saying he had been a Christian for 22 years and the church he attended before he was locked up "would not tolerate bigotry."

Prison officials upheld his complaint.

Read entire story here.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 02, 2006 at 3:16 PM. Want to discuss? Leave a comment below.