During his first four years of employment with Olympia Sports, Jason Rines had no issues at work. Rines’ work performance consistently met with management’s approval and he received multiple bonuses throughout his employment with the company. As described in this article, after a new manager was hired at the store, Hines was forced to quit his job due to continued harassment due to his religious beliefs.
According to a complaint filed by Rines, store manager Lori Brooks spoke about her Christianity often during working hours, making it clear that her religion plays an integral part in her life. According to the lawsuit, after finding out that Rines is an atheist, Brooks began to harass him about his beliefs.
Brooks and another coworker often spoke about religion in Hines’ presence. On multiple occasions, despite her knowledge of his atheism, Brooks asked Hines to join her church . And finally, Brooks informed Rines that her intention was to hire two church members into supervisory positions at the store.
After upper management was made aware of Brooks’ behavior, they told her to “settle it down.”
In December, 2012, Brooks claimed that someone at the store had stolen money from her purse. The store’s district manager and loss prevention manager approached Rines regarding the theft. The complaint alleges that no other employees were questioned about the incident.
Not many days after, Brooks’ pastor approached Rines at the store and gave him a Christmas present. A compact disc of Christmas music and a book authored by a former atheist.
Rines approached Brooks explaining that due to the continued harassment, it was his intent to quit his job. According to the complaint, her reply was, “OK.”
In his claim of religious discrimination and harassment, Rines is seeking lost wages and compensatory and punitive damages under the Maine Human Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination due to an individual’s religion.
If you or someone you know thinks they have experienced employment discrimination, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help. Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.