Man Claims He Was Fired For Not Attending Church

[ChoralScholar]

From the Bentonville (Ark.) Morning News
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/03/30/news/033007prayersuit.txt

BENTONVILLE -- A plumbing company apprentice sued his former employer Thursday, claiming his civil rights were violated when he was fired for not attending church.

The lawsuit was filed by attorney Harry McDermott on behalf of Clifford D. Randel of Benton County. Randel claims he was wrongfully terminated and is seeking $50,000 in punitive damages.

Randel started working for Allied Plumbing and Drain Service in Siloam Springs as an apprentice in December 2004, according to the lawsuit. Randel attended training classes at Arkansas Technical Institute and shadowed another employee until he was fired March 15.

On March 7, Randel was vomiting and had diarrhea and went home sick from work against the advice of another plumber, who said Randel was supposed to take a drug test that morning, according to the complaint. The next day, the company's owner, Dan Mallory, accused Randel of being a drug addict, the suit claims.

</snip>
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/03/30/news/033007prayersuit.txt

[Richard Steele]

1. "Spiritual People Inspire Me. Religious People Frighten Me..........."

Best response on that page!

[Hobarticus]

2. Discouraging how many are quick to jump to his employer's defense...

Ye gods.

[zonmoy]

3. more proof of the nastiness of the religious

and the malevolence of their god.

[gratuitous]

4. Did he miss church or a drug test?

Actually, neither reason is really valid for firing the guy, since I'm opposed to drug testing as a condition of employment for jobs that don't involve, say, piloting an airplane or driving a train.

But I do know that employers who require drug tests don't brook any excuse for missing one, and the penalty is usually automatic and immediate termination.

[Richard Steele]

6. The only thing that elevates this above "I said/he said", IMHO...

...is that, in the article, it seems to be accepted
as FACT that the guy had vomiting and diarrhea the
day he was scheduled to be tested. How could he FAKE
that to get out of a SURPRISE drug test?

But regardless, the "attend my church or be fired" attitude
is evil, unChristian, and unAmerican. I hope the
guy wins his case.

[wicket]

9. Also, he passed 2 drug tests he paid for himself:

Randel tested negative for drugs on March 15 and March 24, according to two drug tests submitted with the complaint. The complaint said Randel paid for the drug tests.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. It is Siloam Springs, Arkansas. There's a sign going into town on US Hwy 412 that reads,

"Welcome to Siloam Springs, AR. Where the Lord is king" or something close to that. My sister from Florida once asked me how it could be legal to have that along side the road. My answer, "It is Siloam Springs, Arkansas."

[ChoralScholar]

10. It says "Where Jesus is Lord"

which to me, implies that there are other places (like that Godless liberal wasteland Fayetteville) where Jesus ISN'T Lord.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Well, if I were forced to live there (and it would take men with guns 24/7), I'd file a lawsuit

against them for that sign. But, hopefully I get to stay in the Godless liberal wasteland.

I also detest the 25 minutes it takes to just drive through the town.

[Bozita]

7. "At will" employees have little recourse in most states

[mondo joe]

18. Even in At Will states there is plenty that is not allowed - including discrimination

based on religion (as well as race, age, gender).

[gollygee]

8. Did he have a doctor's excuse for missing the test

I used to work somewhere that required drug tests and you pretty much got fired for missing one no matter what. Maybe if he was that sick and had a doctor's excuse he could have been randomly tested later.

So if he was fired for refusing to go to this guy's church then he's in the right, but it is possible he was just trying to get out of the test. I'm not a big fan of these tests but where I worked the insurance company required the company do it. Plumbers are part of the construction industry so it might be required by their insurance company too.

So . . . not enough information.

[Richard Steele]

11. Well, the story implies that both sides admit he had vomiting and diarrhea that morning.

It implies that by simply stating it as a fact,
not a claim that the employee is making. I don't
think it's terribly reasonable to fire the guy
when he comes in the next day willing to take the
test. "Zero tolerance=Zero intelligence", IMHO.

[gollygee]

13. Yeah where I worked we probably would have had him take it the next day

and then had an extra random test at some point. It shouldn't have been a big deal if they *knew* he was that sick.

But yes people will do just about anything to get out of these tests. Frankly, they will feed themselves something to make them vomit and give them diarrhea to get out of the tests.

[Richard Steele]

15. Yes, that's for certain. But the story is rather MURKY on an important point.

I get the IMPRESSION that he wasn't told he was
scheduled for testing until after he decided to
go home because he was ill. But that's just an
"impression", and the article doesn't actually
tell me if that's true or not.

That seems like some POOR reporting, to me. It's a
pretty OBVIOUS question, and the story doesn't address it.
Knowing which came first (the illness or the knowledge that
he was gonna be tested) would be REAL helpful when
deciding who's story is more believable.

[nealmhughes]

14. I am reminded of a retired Episcopal bishop who summered on Long Island.

One Sunday he confirmed a bunch of people at my parish. At the dinner for the vestry and clergy of the archdeanery that afternoon, after the roast leg of lamb, the bananas foster and 1 bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape each, over the port, he just smiled and held his glass towards the afternoon sun and said in a tired voice "You know, ladies and gentlemen, religion is a lot like alcohol, both are fine when taken in moderation. . ." After his nap, he said, "Reading the Book of Revelations has been proven to induce insanity in the weak-willed."

One of the best Sundays I have ever had!

The name of the his see is undisclosed to protect the elderly Episcopal bishops of the world!

[salin]

16. side note per comments

on that article - looks like a former DUer apparently is still reading DU and wants us to know it - gives a shout out to the "DUmmies" (poster's words) who read it. Wonder what that is about (the need to "announce")?

[ChoralScholar]

17. Weird...

I posted this because I read it in my daily 'online newspaper' rounds from around the state.

I saw the comment. I guess they were trolling DU and decided to comment on the newspaper site.