Evolving Intersection Of Pride And Religious Accommodations: What Employers Need To Know

June is Pride month, a time when many employers look to incorporate new ways to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, including displaying a Pride flag. A recently filed case in California serves as a timely reminder that such displays might result in religious accommodation requests and leave many employers asking – what do we do?

On May 24, a California lifeguard, Jeffrey Little, sued the Los Angeles County Fire Department – his employer – claiming it discriminated against his religious beliefs by making him work near a Pride flag at his assigned guard station last summer and disciplining him for taking down three of the flags. While Little and his employer had agreed on partial accommodation arrangements for this year's Pride month, Little still believes he has failed to be fully accommodated, as he, for example, still has to instruct his subordinates to raise and lower the flag. This case is still pending in the Central District of California.