‘Homosexual Behavior Leads To Death’: Ford Contractor Claims He Was Fired For His Religious Beliefs

A contractor was fired after posting anti-gay comments on Ford’s intranet. Now he is suing and claiming his religious rights were violated.

A contract engineer is claiming he lost his job assignment with the Ford Motor Company, and was fired from his employer, Rapid Global Business Solutions (RGBSI), because of his Christian religious beliefs and/or religious observances and practices. After posting anti-gay comments about the company’s efforts to create a more inclusive LGBT environment, Thomas Banks was terminated by Ford Human Resources. Banks filed a lawsuit against both companies on July 10 and is suing for the damages he suffered including but not limited to lost wages, mental anguish, and emotional distress, humiliation, shame, anxiety, and other damages.

According to the complaint, Banks was employed with RGBSI and had been on assignment with Ford for three and a half years. Banks felt the need to respond to an article on Ford’s intranet that supported GLOBES’s (Ford’s Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual Employees) efforts to make the company a more pro-LGBT environment. He posted the following in the comments section of the article:

“For this Ford Motor should be thoroughly ashamed. Endorsing and promoting sodomy is of benefit to no one. This topic is disruptive to the workplace and is an assault on Christians and morality, as well as antithetical to our design and our survival. Immoral sexual conduct should not be the topic for an automotive manufacturer to endorse or promote. And yes – this is historic – but not in a good way. Never in the history of mankind has a culture survived that promotes sodomy. Heterosexual behavior creates life – homosexual behavior leads to death.”

Banks was told that his comments violated Ford’s anti-harassment policy and he was fired from both companies two weeks later. He filed a wrongful termination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for violation of the federal Civil Rights law, but they declined to pursue the claims. Now Banks is turning to the federal courts.

The lawsuit claims that even though he posted his anti-gay views on Ford’s intranet,  “Banks has no objection to workplace inclusiveness in general and supports a diverse and inclusive workplace.” It also states that he “appreciates the variety of opinions and perspectives that a diverse workplace and a diverse world bring.” The lawsuit alleges the companies “acted intentionally out of malice or reckless disregard of Banks’ federally protected rights.”

A right-wing religious legal firm, Liberty Institute, is representing Banks.

“We are shocked that Ford Motor Company would terminate one of their employees simply because he expressed his faith,” Hiram Sasser, Liberty Institute Director of Litigation in the statement earlier this year. “If Ford is allowed to get away with firing Mr. Banks over this comment, we fear that every person of faith will be punished for talking about his or her faith in the workplace. At Ford, if you speak about your faith as it relates to the company, even to the company, you may be terminated.”

Ford and Rapid Global Business Solutions have yet to respond to the lawsuit in court. 

 

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