Woman fired for not issuing same-sex marriage licenses sues court clerk for 'religious discrimination'

Yanicka Parker, a former court specialist at the Broward County Clerk's Office, filed a lawsuit against court clerk Howard Forman for "religious discrimination." The lawsuit claimed that she was fired for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses after it was legalized in the U.S. on Jan. 6, 2015.

The court issued an email to all employees prior to the legalization informing them that they would soon be issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Parker, who also served as a Christian minister at the Faith Deliverance Tabernacle in Fort Lauderdale, told her supervisors that she would not be able to do so because of her religious beliefs.

She was sent home on Jan. 6 and 7 after she requested to be excused from issuing same-sex marriage licenses. When she returned to the office on Jan. 12, she was informed that she was fired.

In her lawsuit, she argued that there are other court clerks and supervisors who are willing to issue the licenses. Parker suggested to her supervisor to reassign or relocate her so she could avoid performing the said tasks. She said that accommodating her request would not cause any additional trouble to the defendant.

The lawsuit stated, "Given that issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples was a miniscule part of the clerk's job and overall responsibilities, and Ms. Parker was willing and able to perform all other aspects of her job, Defendant Forman could have easily accommodated her religious beliefs."

"Ms. Parker would have been working, performing all of the dozens of other functions
that were not contrary to her religious beliefs, just as she had done for a dozen years before," it continued.

Parker is seeking for compensation for attorneys fees, wages, bonuses and benefits that she could have received if she had not been fired. She also wants to be compensated for emotional harm, stress and diminished reputation. She was evicted from her home in July.

The lawsuit stated that very few same-sex marriage licenses were issued at the office. According to the Sun Sentinel, 184 same-sex licenses were issued at Broward on the first day same-sex marriage became legal.