Federal employee risks losing job for refusing to watch LGBT inclusiveness video in Illinois

An employee at the Social Security Administration office in Champaign, Illinois has hired a lawyer because he is expecting to be fired after he refused to watch a video about LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) inclusion.

David Hall said that all of the employees were required to watch the video but he refused to comply, claiming that the order goes against his religious freedom.

Hall, who has worked in the IT department for 42 years and currently functions as an area systems coordinator, said that he was reprimanded for insubordination and suspended for two days without pay last August. His request for religious accommodation to abstain from watching the training video was denied.

Hall said that his supervisor told him he could face a longer suspension if he still does not watch the training video.

"My complaint is more with the fact that it was mandatory," Hall told the WCIA. "We have never done that for another particular class of people. This is the only group of individuals that we've done it for. We haven't done it for veterans, the disabled, blacks, Hispanics, or anything else," he added.

Hall believes that the video is promoting an agenda or lifestyle contrary to his beliefs. He mentioned that he has family and friends who identify as LGBT and he does not harbor any animosity for them.

"I'm not judging the LGBT community ... But I believe tolerance is a two-way street," he said.

The Social Security office released a statement regarding the training video but it did not mention anything about Hall's case.

Part of the statement read: "This mandatory video training reminds our employees of their responsibility, as representatives of the agency, to provide the highest levels of service to our customers. The training includes a brief session on tips for increasing cultural awareness in a diverse and inclusive environment."

Hall thinks that his supervisor would not change his mind regarding the issue but Hall still intends to fight the case at the risk of losing his job.

Hall's lawyer, Jason Craddock, has previously represented a bed and breakfast owner who refused to host a same-sex union ceremony on religious grounds. A judge ordered the owner to pay $80,000 to the couple for violating the Illinois Human Rights Act.