Employee takes religious freedom too far

A supervisor who was an evangelical Christian sent letters to her manager and one of her subordinates in which she told them they were not pleasing God and that they should stop sinning before it is too late. After investigating, the employer terminated the supervisor's employment because the letters deeply offended the people who received them, disrupted the workplace and invaded their privacy.

The supervisor sued for failure to reasonably accommodate her religion. The Court of Appeals held that this was not the type of behavior an employer was required to accommodate, and upheld the termination. The court relied heavily on the fact that this person was a supervisor, with additional responsibilities as a result.

Chalmers v. Tulon Corp.,
72 FEP Cases 747 (4th Cir, 1996)

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