Lawsuit: CHRISTIANITY Required of Applicant

[Teatownclown]

Religious discrimination lawsuit filed claiming Voss Lighting requires workers to be Christian

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=14&articleid=20120614_14_A1_Beinga699339
By DAVID HARPER World Staff Writer
Published: 6/14/2012  2:28 AM
Last Modified: 6/14/2012  3:38 AM

Being "a 'born-again' Christian" was required of a job applicant at a national lighting company's Tulsa location, a religious discrimination lawsuit filed in federal court this week claims.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit against Voss Lighting in Tulsa federal court on Tuesday.

Edward Wolfe applied for an operations supervisor position at Voss Lighting's Tulsa store in early 2011, according to the EEOC. The agency claims in the lawsuit that, during the application process, two local managers made numerous inquiries, "both subtle and overt," about Wolfe's religious activities and beliefs.

Wolfe allegedly was asked to identify every church he has attended over the past several years, where and when he was "saved" and the circumstances that led to that event, and whether he "would have a problem" coming into work early to attend Bible study before clocking in for the day.

The lawsuit recounts an alleged conversation in which one of the managers purportedly told Wolfe that the majority of Voss' employees were Southern Baptist, "but that it wasn't required that you go to a Southern Baptist Church. As long as you were a 'born-again' Christian, it didn't matter what church you attended."

The EEOC claims that the same manager expressed "overt agitation and disapproval" to Wolfe's responses to the religious line of questioning and that Wolfe was ultimately denied employment on the basis of his religious beliefs.

Steve Sanderson, vice president and general manager for the Lincoln, Neb.-based company, sent the Tulsa World a written response to the lawsuit on Wednesday, saying: "Voss denies that the charging party was not hired as a consequence of his religious beliefs. The individual hired by Voss had more lighting product experience and was more qualified than the charging party. Voss looks forward to a judicial determination of the rights of the parties."

The company's website says its "biblical mission is to 'sell' our lighting products so that we may 'tell' everyone we can about God's soul-saving, life-transforming gospel message as Jesus instructed believers to do."

The website describes Henry Voss, now deceased, as "the man God selected to found Voss Electric in 1939" and says other generations have been given the "opportunity to help make America better and also to be used by our Lord to make the Bible's saving Gospel known."

The website also says the company "is one of the nation's leading suppliers of specialized replacement lighting products" and serves "a broad range of customers from business and industry to schools and governmental agencies."

The business's Tulsa location is at 3168 S. 108th East Ave.

The EEOC's suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for Wolfe as well as injunctive relief, including a court order prohibiting Voss Lighting from any further discrimination against applicants on the basis of their religious beliefs or nonbeliefs.

"Voss Lighting appears to have a corporate culture that requires employees adhere to certain religious beliefs that have absolutely no bearing on the business of selling lighting products," EEOC trial attorney Patrick Holman said in a written statement.

"This litigation, we hope, will serve to illuminate Voss Lighting as to Title VII's prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of religion."

Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.


Original Print Headline: Lawsuit: Christianity required of applicant

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=14&articleid=20120614_14_A1_Beinga699339

I am certain that this was what Jesus would have done....aren't you?
People seem to be offended that religion be entered into political discussion. But telling their evening host he's doomed to hell for eternity for not being a believer is acceptable. I think there are too many religious bigots and betrayers to their own codes walking around. It goes with being unhealthy and uneducated.

RM please don't play TNF MP with this thread. OK, Big Daddy?

[RecycleMichael]

This thread is topical and worthy of discussion. You don't seem to be just trying to make fun of a person's religion. There is a difference.

[Hoss]

This thread is topical and worthy of discussion. You don't seem to be just trying to make fun of a person's religion. There is a difference.

Agreed.  Saw it in the actual print copy this morning (my mother still takes the print version, mainly for the crosswords) and asked myself how long would it take before TTC posted it.  Longer than I thought.

But Voss, if this is proven to be correct, is in a world of trouble here.

[AquaMan]

My experience with this bears repeating because this is not uncommon. It is usually done with some plausable deniability by using friends and employees to "refer" applicants.

I was talking to a fellow entrepreneur/salesman type guy and was telling him how I just wanted a good company to work for where I could really contribute. He said, "I know of a good company that could use someone with your skills. But, they're looking for a Christian." I replied, "Not that it should matter but I am a Lutheran Christian."

He said, "How can that be? You're a Democrat".

It seems employment is often enhanced by finding the right church, the right politics, the right sports teams. Even a local poster on this forum was unapologetic in telling me that from his perspective businesses don't like to hire Democrats if they know.

[Teatownclown]

This thread is topical and worthy of discussion. You don't seem to be just trying to make fun of a person's religion. There is a difference.

Wrong you are....what do you think one of the main objectives of the LDS is? Also, a consortium of insiders in the White House just may limit diversity in government. While it may not be obvious or stated, there is prejudice and discrimination in their ways of operating. Had Wolfe not stepped forward, this would never had seen the light of day. How many other firms operate this way?

I sat with a New Jersey woman yesterday at lunch who told me after a year here she has to move on from Oklahoma. At first she said her impression was the people around here are friendly. She told me that fades away once you get past the surface....

[RecycleMichael]

Maybe you should go with her?

[Teatownclown]

Religious intolerance is a huge issue in the country. The Rev. Wright issue brings to light the enormity of affiliation. A Jew could never be elected President in the US nor a Hindu, Budist, Muslim nor a non-theist nor agnostic nor an atheist.

MP...love it or leave it? How about condemn it?

[Teatownclown]

Maybe you should go with her?

She said your type were the worst types...they portray love and kindness but are rotten at the root.

[DolfanBob]

I know of a certain Nissan dealer that has early morning prayer meetings.
They even use their belief oh so subtle in their slogan.

[heironymouspasparagus]

At a previous job, I was talking to one of the other engineering managers about our respective church's.  At the time, I had stopped attending my previous one and had not found a replacement.  He casually asked me where I went, and when I explained that I used to go to "XXXX", but right now didn't attend, he flat out said, "well, maybe you should..."

Guess how long I lasted there?

It actually did not affect my outlook on attending church - well, maybe a little about attending the "Hijacked Southern Baptist Convention".  But since such a big part of the family is still a part of that group, I cannot hold it all against the church.  But it is tough to forgive that type of person - I can do it, but it's tough.  He has just lost his way a little bit, and I hope he gets back to the right path.

[Conan71]

Religious intolerance is a huge issue in the country. The Rev. Wright issue brings to light the enormity of affiliation. A Jew could never be elected President in the US nor a Hindu, Budist, Muslim nor a non-theist nor agnostic nor an atheist.

MP...love it or leave it? How about condemn it?

So says one of the more intolerant people toward religion on here.

People said a Roman Catholic would never be president.  

People said a black man would never lead this country.  Anecdotes suggest Obama may have been a practicing Muslim at one time as well.

Sooner or later barriers start to fall.  They've fallen more rapidly in the last 50 years.  Things which seemed impossible or verboten like female CEO's or even legislators has fallen to the wayside.

I suspect in the next 50 years we will see a female president, Jewish president, agnostic president, and quite possibly an openly gay president.

I also hope along with that we will quit identifying ourselves into so many sub-sets that it seems remarkable when a certain "first" happens.  Personally, I'm a member of the human race first and foremost.

All that said, I'll get back to the OT- if a company's biggest priority seems to be the religion of their employees (well, other than a church or temple), no chance I'd work there.

[Teatownclown]

All that said, I'll get back to the OT- if a company's biggest priority seems to be the religion of their employees (well, other than a church or temple), no chance I'd work there.

Yes you would if the pay were right.

You're not that righteous.

[Conan71]

Yes you would if the pay were right.

You're not that righteous.

Think you know me better than I know myself, eh?

[Teatownclown]

I got 5 emails from friends across the country all stating: "Nice town you live in."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/06/fed-lawsuit-lighting-store-required-workers-to-be-christian/1?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29#.T9ogyBevKSp  National Press! And look at the comments!

I like this one: " I worked for a gentleman in college that would only hire Jews, it's just the way he was and he business still flourishes to this day "

and I agree with this: "I could see a business requiring this if that religious belief would uniquely qualify an applicant for the specific job - for example if you are running a Christian Bookstore it would make sense to have employees that are Christians in order to effectively deal with their clientele" ...because that's what I told Mard Green the time we met to discuss rent.

It is against the law to discriminate in hiring.

Conan, I know you well enough.




"Nice town you live in."

[Conan71]

I got 5 emails from friends across the country all stating: "Nice town you live in."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/06/fed-lawsuit-lighting-store-required-workers-to-be-christian/1?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29#.T9ogyBevKSp  National Press! And look at the comments!

I like this one: " I worked for a gentleman in college that would only hire Jews, it's just the way he was and he business still flourishes to this day "

and I agree with this: "I could see a business requiring this if that religious belief would uniquely qualify an applicant for the specific job - for example if you are running a Christian Bookstore it would make sense to have employees that are Christians in order to effectively deal with their clientele" ...because that's what I told Mard Green the time we met to discuss rent.

It is against the law to discriminate in hiring.

Conan, I know you well enough.




"Nice town you live in."

Speaking of Mart Green and Hob-Lob/Mardels.

That's an interesting quandary.  EOE should protect against religious-based discrimination in the work place.   Mardel's is a Christian book and gift store.  An overt atheist or satan-worshipper with tattoos glorifying satanic worship would really be counter to the known and stated mission of Mardel's.

What's to keep someone from suing Mardel's for discriminatory hiring practices?

I'm serious, why haven't they been sued before?