Bus driver says he was fired over Planned Parenthood dispute

[Zephie]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- A Texas bus driver has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, claiming he was fired for his religious beliefs after refusing to transport a client to a Planned Parenthood office, court documents showed Wednesday.

Edwin A. Graning worked for the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) near Austin, Texas, for less than a year before he was let go in January. At the time, he told his supervisor that, "in good conscience, he could not take someone to have an abortion," according to the lawsuit. Graning is an ordained Christian minister.

Planned Parenthood, a health care provider that offers a range of medical services to women, including those related to abortion, often draws the ire of anti-abortion groups in the United States, where the procedure is legal but fiercely controversial.

Graning's last day of employment was the same day he refused service.

He is seeking reinstatement, back pay, and compensatory damages for pain, suffering and emotional distress. "It's only because he voiced his religions beliefs that he was canned," Edward White III, Graning's lawyer, told CNN. "Employers have a legal responsibility to at least attempt to accommodate an employee's religious beliefs. ... CARTS clearly violated Mr. Graning's religious freedom."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/21/texas.bus.abortion.suit/index.html?hpt=T2

[Brickbat]

1. He was canned because he refused to do his job.

If your religion prohibits you from performing an aspect of the job, don't take the job.

[baldguy]

6. +1000

[alp227]

10. Look. You're doing PUBLIC transit, take ANY passenger who obeys the rules.

This isn't a Christian nation dammit! Why doesn't Graning move to Iran if he doesn't want to serve non-fundamentalists? This frivolous lawsuit is a waste of Texas taxpayers' money and should be trashed immediately.

[slay]

37. Exactly

you made my point for me. :)

[peacebird]

2. what total bs. he had a job & refused to do it, drive someone to their destination - not

his business why or where. just his job to drive them.

[bowens43]

3. Good! The idiot needed to be fired! nt

[niyad]

4. BS-- just like the damned pharmacists who refuse to do their jobs.

this is getting beyond ridiculous and needs to be stopped.

[Bandit]

29. Except pharmacists don't work for the Government

This was Government provided "Public" Transportation. Religion should stay out of Government

[msanthrope]

45. Except, that Pharmacists are licensed by the government.

For the privilege of such a powerful position over the vulnerable, they accede to the needs of the state.

[Ian David]

5. What's next? Snowplow driver refuses to plow in front of Planned Parenthood. n/t

[Thor_MN]

38. Taxi driver refuses to drive someone to church...

[Lil Missy]

7. He is the one who caused another emotional distress. He deserved to be fired.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LiberalFighter]

9. How does or did he know the client was getting an abortion?

The client may have been going to PPH for other medical services. It is none of his or anyone elses business to know the reason for her visit.

If he knew that was why she was going there then there may be an issue of HIPPA violation. They need to kick him on that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. My first thought as well

These anti-choicers are so freaking ignorant. They don't understand that PP does a lot more than abortions.

[rurallib]

14. Mine also. In any case he refused to do his job. Therefore Bye-bye

[notadmblnd]

11. No, he did not mearly voice his religious beliefs. He imposed them on someone.

Big difference. This guy needed to lose his job. Let him go back to his church and allow his God to provide for him.

[uppityperson]

16. Exactly. k&r for fools

[havocmom]

17. BINGO! Plenty of people out there who would be more than happy with his job

Lots of things pay well, but many won't do them because they have ethical problems with aspects of particular jobs. Don't like the job requirements? Work elsewhere. Employees don't get to impose their religion on the public.

[Warpy]

13. If you refuse to do your job, you get FIRED

That's always the way it's been and besides, that sanctimonious sack of crap had no earthly idea why someone was going to Planned Parenthood since they do so many different things for women. Was he going to let a woman die for lack of a timely pap smear?

The arrogant bastard should have been fired. I hope this case gets laughed right out of court.

Good for CARTS.

[indy legend]

22. Oh there should be a law suite.

This lady should sue his ass for imposing his religious views on her, causing her mental anguish, violating her civil rights and deniying her a public service.

[Warpy]

24. Maybe now she will.

[brewens]

15. Frivolous law suit? I wonder if he's ever sued any doctors?

I'd like to see a demographic breakdown of just who files the most lawsuits. I would be willing to bet it's more wealthier or upper middle class people.

[Historic NY]

18. Interesting you drive a bus, bus's deliver passengers, obviously you don't want a job.

[depakid]

19. Would Kagan side with the busdriver? Could well be...

ABC News' Ariane de Vogue and Ann H. Sloan report: We got a glimpse of Elena Kagan’s view on religious freedom today in one of the thousands of documents released from her time as a young lawyer in the Clinton administration.

At issue was a landlady in California who claimed that complying with a state anti-discrimination law violated her religion. The woman did not want to rent her apartment to unmarried couples. A lower court plurality ruled against the landlady, finding that the law did not "substantially burden" her religion because she could have earned a living in another way then by leasing her apartments.

Kagan found such reasoning to be “outrageous” and wrote “it is almost as if a court were to hold that a state law does not impose a substantial burden on religion because the complainant is free to move to another state.”

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/06/new-kagan-documents-reveal-role-in-religious-freedom-case-clinton-scandals-abortion-debate.html

[ehrnst]

32. She is stating that the reasoning used to justify the ruling is wrong.

And selling an apartment building is a much more substantial burden than this guy finding another job as a bus driver - no one is telling him that he needs to change professions. Indeed, I find that the idea that she could "simply find another way to earn a living," is unrealistic, even though I absolutely think that equal housing laws do override her religious beliefs.

If CARTS is running on a skeleton crew of drivers, which is plausible as municipalities cut back on services, then having a driver that would, at any point refuse to be dispatched, would pose a hardship on the city to provide an extra backup whenever he is on call.

If that driver did not state specifically upon his hiring that he would refuse to drive to certain locations, or under specific circumstances, then he is violating the terms of his employment. Employers do have a right to specify tasks. And in the event that some develops religious objections that would impair their ability to do their work, it seems that they would need to inform the employer, just as they would if they developed a disability.

[RainDog]

20. buh-bye asshole

this is clearly another xtian extortion attempt.

[Odin2005]

21. If you can't do your fucking job find a different line of work, fucker.

[Atticus]

23. Well, obviously, we can't judge this situation without all pertinent information.

If the man is a Democrat, of course the discharge is justified and the man should also probably be prosecuted for---something.

If, however, this man is a divinely-inspired faith-driven Republican (HALLELUJAH!), then, of course, he should get an apology and approximately 3.2 brazillion dollars.

Oh, and a "get into heb'n free" card.

[mike r]

25. Palin, Beck et al will _demand_ his reinstatement tomorrow

[mike r]

26. It's ok to drive hookers to their jobs, but not a woman to PH for STD testing or condoms

[FreakinDJ]

27. Lazy Bastard - just wanted an Unemployment check

[Javaman]

28. whiny right wing.

"I can't do my job because my stupidity constantly gets in the way!!! Waaaa!"

[ehrnst]

30. And if he refuses to transport someone to a Synagogue...or Mosque?

Would the employer be required to accommodate?

[ehrnst]

31. More detailed story in the Statesman:

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/bus-driver-says-religious-views-led-to-firing-807732.html

[Statistical]

33. Idiot. Case will be dismissed.

While employers have to accommodate (if possible) it doesn't go as far as NOT WORKING you dumb fuck.

Let's take this to the logical conclusion. I start a religion called Statisticalism.

One of the tenets is that one can only work 8 days a year. The rest must be spent playing video games. I accept a salaried job from an employer and then try to only work 8 days a year. I sue when they fire me.

[ehrnst]

34. Well- it also seems as though he has a beef with "bending the knee to Baal"...

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jul/10072008.html


"I pastored years ago, and I've done a lot of things - and normally I wouldn't have made any issue out of this - but you know, I'm really getting tired of Christians getting kicked around," he told LSN. "I mean, we see other things as going on in this country, and somebody somewhere along the line is just got to quit bending the knee to Baal and letting this government run over us."

[MissMillie]

35. I wonder how many people he dropped off at the strip club

:shrug:

[rocktivity]

36. Neither exactly where the passenger was going, nor why, was any of his goddamned business

if you'll pardon the expression.

She's a member of the public, and he was in the business of transporting the public. Did he spend his Sundays refusing to transport people who weren't going to church?

:headbang:
rocktivity

[activa8tr]

39. Let's get Breitbart on this right away!!! He's sure to take up this guy's cause

and flail away.

Andrew will make him a hero, of course...

[nalnn]

40. intolerance

This reminds me of the muslim taxi drivers not wanting to transport people with alcohol. Or the muslim bus drivers in the U.K. who purportedly refused to allow blind people with guide dogs on board. It really makes little sense. The job is public transportation. Transport the public then!

/sarcon Of course, how do we get paid if we can't sue? Sue (or worse) cartoonists for making a cartoon about mohamed. Or sue your sex partner for lying about their faith?
/sarcoff

I have really found nothing in my experiences with Christianity or other religions that leads me to believe that these intolerant actions, even when inspired by one's faith, justify inflicting some sort of punishment upon another of a different faith.

[Bragi]

41. What, no faith-based bus routes allowed?

Surely the evangelicals ought to be demanding this. "Proper" people would not have to share buses with sinners wanting to get off at abortion clinics, mosques, liberal educational institutions, liberal media offices, etc.

I mean, what would be so hard about having red and blue buses with red and blue stops?

[One_Life_To_Give]

42. If a Muslim driver had refused to take his wife anywhere

because she was not accompanied by a male relative. This guy would probably freak rather than defend that guys religious freedom.

[KakistocracyHater]

43. most evil emanates from Texas

there are some exceptions, but that state lets the awful ones really flourish.
& what Brickbat said-the REAL reason he was fired was because he refused to do his job. BUT-this has worked for pharmacists.....so Fundie Christians are now expanding on what has worked for them already.

[truthisfreedom]

44. Bus drivers should have to sign an agreement that they won't discriminate based on their religious

beliefs. This is a case of discrimination, plain and simple.

[droidamus2]

46. Question?

Just because a certain church or certain sect of the Christian religion takes a stance on abortion does that make the 'anti-abortion' position a matter of religious beliefs. I don't believe the bible addresses abortion (I am not religious so I can't be sure). I guess if you buy the 'its murder' thing then you could stretch it to the 10 commandments though 'murder' as far as I know is a legal term for an illegal killing so legally abortion is not murder.
I get real tired of these reich-wingers using their religion as a shield to allow them to foist their political beliefs on others. In many cases, I think this is one, it really is a political/personal belief not a religious belief but they know they couldn't get away with saying they are conservative and therefore they won't do X (whatever it may be) so they claim it is a religious belief instead.

[Zoeisright]

47. And what about the 'pain, suffering, and emotional distress' he CAUSED

that woman? What a pig.

[Omaha Steve]

48. You girls that want abortions go to the back of the bus

Regardless of any woman's reason, she is entitled to ride on the bus without fear etc to the clinic. That was decided in the 60's. These people are throwbacks we don't need.

[Vidar]

49. Bravo for whoever fired the asshole!