Christian Lifeguard Sues LA County Fire Department over Pride Flag Mandate

Captain Jeffrey Little, a Christian lifeguard, filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Fire Department for religious discrimination after being forced to raise a Progress Pride flag at his work station.

Captain Jeffrey Little, a devout Christian and longtime lifeguard with the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD), has filed a lawsuit against the department for religious discrimination after being forced to raise a Progress Pride flag at his work station.

The lawsuit, filed on May 24, alleges that the LACFD violated Little's First Amendment rights by denying his request for a religious accommodation from a policy requiring the flag to be flown at county facilities throughout June in honor of LGBTQ Pride month.

Little claims that he was initially granted an exemption from the policy last year but that it was revoked just days later. He faced harassment, discrimination, and retaliation due to his refusal to fly the flag, his lawyers claim.

In response to the lawsuit, the LACFD granted Little a partial accommodation last week, assuring him that he will not be held personally responsible for raising or lowering the LGBTQ flag for the remainder of the month. However, Little's lawyers argue that this is not enough and that he should be granted a "full and complete" standing exemption from being forced to fly the flag every year.

"Yet instead of developing a practical and workable long-term solution, the Fire Department is continuing to insist that Captain Little violate his sincere religious beliefs in order to keep his job," said Paul Jonna of the Thomas More Society, which is representing Little.

The LACFD is still requiring Little to ensure his subordinates comply with the mandate and is requiring him to renew his religious accommodation request every year, according to the Thomas More Society.

Little said in a statement that he hopes his lawsuit will encourage "productive dialogue between employees of faith and their employers."

"No employee should be expected to abandon their faith when entering the workplace and unfortunately, I felt backed into a corner where my faith was incompatible with the requirements of my job. My prayer is that people of faith will flourish in the workplace and not feel as if they need to hide that part of themselves in order to be successful in their jobs," he said.

Jonna said Little was not alone in his request and that the county had received "hundreds" of similar exemption requests over the Pride flag policy.

"We will continue prosecuting this case in federal court until we fully vindicate the constitutional rights of Captain Little and others like him," Jonna said.

The LACFD told Fox News Digital that it does not comment on personnel or ongoing litigation matters.

The lawsuit comes amid a growing number of legal challenges to policies requiring the display of LGBTQ flags on public property. In recent months, Christian politicians and public employees have filed lawsuits in California, Florida, and other states, arguing that such policies violate their First Amendment rights.

Legal experts say the outcome of Little's lawsuit could have implications for other cases involving the display of LGBTQ flags on public property.