Christian Apartment managers evicted, fired for being 'too religious'
Pastor Dale Morgan
*
Christian Apartment managers evicted, fired for being 'too religious'*
Posted: June 20, 2008
Liberty Counsel
For eight years Daniel and Sharon Dixon, apartment managers in Lake
City, Fla., displayed in the apartment complex's management office a
stained glass depiction of flowers with the words "Consider the lilies …
Matthew 6:28" written in the lower left corner – an act for which they
were suddenly fired from their management jobs and evicted from their
apartment.
Mathew D. Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, a non-profit organization
dedicated to advancing religious freedom that is representing the
Dixons, said that neither before nor after the incident were the Dixons
charged with any wrongdoing other than protesting the removal of the
artwork and loss of their jobs.
"They were suddenly terminated as a result of the religious bigotry of
one supervisor," Staver said in a press release. "The Dixons lost their
jobs and were booted out on the street, solely because artwork in their
office made reference to the Bible."
The Dixons managed and provided maintenance for the Thornwood Terrace
Apartments, a government-subsidized complex owned and operated by the
Hallmark Companies and Hallmark Management. The couple was permitted to
live in the complex as part of their compensation.
Last September a regional manager for Hallmark, Christina Saunders,
visited the complex in anticipation of a government inspection and saw
the glass artwork. According to a Liberty Counsel release, Saunders
asked Sharon if the words on the artwork referenced the Bible. After
Sharon confirmed they did, Saunders instructed her to take it down.
Sharon replied that she needed to consult her husband and co-manager,
Daniel, and left the office to find him.
When the couple returned, Saunders had already removed the artwork,
entered the Dixons' apartment without their permission and deposited the
artwork there. According to the press release, she then said Sharon and
Daniel were "too religious," fired them and demanded they vacate their
apartment within 72 hours.
"Hallmark could have separated the Dixons' residence from their job,
even with the termination," Staver said. "They could have stayed in
their apartment, but (Hallmark) both fired and evicted them."
We attempted to reach Hallmark Management for comment, but phone calls
were not returned.
The Dixon's story moved to court today, as Liberty Counsel filed a suit
in the Jacksonville federal court on the couple's behalf, claiming the
Dixons were discriminated against on the basis of their religious beliefs.
According to the lawsuit, the only reasons given for the Dixons'
termination were that the couple was "too religious" and that Sharon was
insubordinate for not immediately removing the artwork before consulting
with her husband.
The Agency for Workforce Innovation, however, which ruled in the Dixons'
favor in their request for unemployment compensation, agreed that the
termination was not based on job performance, finding that though the
Dixons were charged with insubordination, "no information has been
submitted which substantiates misconduct" and "the discharge was for
reasons other than misconduct connected with the work."
The Dixons originally left their apartment in compliance with the
eviction and currently reside in Jacksonville, Fla.