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Gerald Groff says his religious rights were violated by making him work Sundays and penalizing him when he “couldn’t.”
The Evangelical Christian claims he quit his job at The United States Postal Service, the job he once loved, out of fear of being terminated due to the suspensions.
Groff says that USPS did accommodate him at first, allowing him to work holidays, evening, and Saturdays to pick up hours.
That changed when his employer started enforcing ‘the no exceptions Sunday policy’. When Groff wouldn’t work Sundays, he was suspended, once for a week and another for 2 weeks.
“This was his favorite job, and so being stuck in a position like that, where he needed to choose between a job he loved and his conscience, he followed his conscience in his hope is that nobody else has to make that same choice,” explained Randall Wenger, Groff’s attorney. “The employer had an obligation to reasonably accommodate his religious beliefs.”
“He’s asking for back pay, but the most important aspect of this case is being able to change the policy,” Wenger said.
Groff also wants reinstatement with appropriate accommodation and compensation for emotional distress. The monetary amount will be decided upon by a judge, Wenger says.
USPS declined to comment.
LancasterOnline has more …
