A Christian lifeguard employed by the Los Angeles County Fire Department is proceeding to trial in a case where he alleges he was disciplined for his religious convictions after expressing objections to tasks involving the Pride flag.
Captain Jeffrey Little, a veteran with over two decades of service in the L.A. County Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division, initiated legal action against Los Angeles County and several fire department supervisors in 2024. This followed the county’s 2023 policy mandating the display of the Progress Pride flag at county facilities throughout June to observe LGBTQ Pride month.
Little, a devout Christian, contended that this policy conflicted with his religious beliefs regarding marriage and sexuality. He sought a religious accommodation that would exempt him from personally raising the flag or ensuring its display by his subordinates. Little stated that the county initially granted this accommodation, only to revoke it two days later.
Subsequently, Little removed several flags, which led to an investigation and ultimately a 15-day suspension without pay.
The county maintains that Little’s disciplinary action was not a result of his religious beliefs but rather due to his unauthorized removal of government-issued Pride flags and a violation of department policy.
Paul Jonna, Little’s attorney from the Thomas More Society, informed Fox News Digital that Little removed the flags under the impression he was acting within the religious accommodation previously granted by the county. He also believed that certain stations were not required to fly the Pride flag if they lacked sufficient clasps, in accordance with the county’s own flag policy. Jonna added that other Pride flags had been removed from stations earlier that month for the same reason.
Jonna also highlighted that other lifeguards who allegedly “vandalized and desecrated” the LGBTQ flag either faced no discipline or received shorter suspensions compared to Little, who, according to Jonna, followed proper procedures to request a religious accommodation for the flag.
The lawsuit asserts that Little experienced retaliation, harassment, and discrimination after requesting the accommodation. It further claims that Lifeguard Division Chief Fernando Boiteux told Little that his “religious beliefs don’t matter,” an assertion the county disputes.
Jonna indicated that the case is now being prepared for trial following a recent hearing. During this hearing, a federal judge issued a sealed ruling that partially granted and partially denied both the county’s motion for summary judgment and Little’s motion for partial summary judgment.
Little is not seeking to abolish the county’s Pride flag policy. Instead, he is requesting a permanent religious accommodation that would exempt him from personally raising the flag or instructing others to do so, in addition to seeking damages and the removal of disciplinary findings from his personnel file.
“Ultimately, the law mandates favorable treatment for religious beliefs, and the county’s message to him and individuals like him, suggesting their religious beliefs are unimportant, is unequivocally unconstitutional and discriminatory,” Jonna stated.
The LA County Fire Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
