Bible citation costs couple jobs, home

For eight years Daniel and Sharon Dixon, apartment managers in Lake City, Fla., displayed in the apartment complex's management office a stained glass depiction of flowers with the words "Consider the lilies … Matthew 6:28" written in the lower left corner – an act for which they were suddenly fired from their management jobs and evicted from their apartment.

Mathew D. Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom that is representing the Dixons, told WND that neither before nor after the incident were the Dixons charged with any wrongdoing other than protesting the removal of the artwork and loss of their jobs.

"They were suddenly terminated as a result of the religious bigotry of one supervisor," Staver said in a press release. "The Dixons lost their jobs and were booted out on the street, solely because artwork in their office made reference to the Bible."

The Dixons managed and provided maintenance for the Thornwood Terrace Apartments, a government-subsidized complex owned and operated by the Hallmark Companies and Hallmark Management. The couple was permitted to live in the complex as part of their compensation.

Additional information on this incident from Liberty Counsel:

June 20, 2008
Termination and Eviction Over Art With a Scripture Reference Results in Federal Lawsuit
Today, a couple who worked and lived at Thornwood Terrace Apartments in Lake City, Florida, a government-subsidized facility, is filing suit in federal court after they were terminated and evicted for displaying in their office artwork referencing a Scripture verse. Daniel Dixon was manager and lead maintenance technician at the apartment complex where he lived with his wife, Sharon, who was also a manager. Liberty Counsel represents the couple.
The companies that own and manage the apartment complex are required to comply with federal employment and housing anti-discrimination laws because the apartment contains government-subsidized units.
For at least eight years before they were fired and evicted, the Dixons had a 50"x26" piece of stained-glass artwork featuring flowers hanging on the wall in the management office where they worked. On the glass was a partial scripture verse in 1-1/4 inch letters that read: "Consider the Lilies...Matthew 6:28."
In September 2007, Christina Saunders, regional manager for Hallmark, asked Sharon if the words on the artwork referred to Scripture. After Sharon said they did, Sanders told her to remove the artwork. Sharon replied that she needed to discuss it with her co-manager husband, Daniel, and left the office to find him. While Sharon was gone, Sanders consulted her supervisor, Norine Lewis, and then took the artwork and put it inside of Daniel and Sharon’s apartment. When Sharon returned, Sanders said that Sharon and Daniel were "too religious." She fired them and demanded they vacate their apartment within 72 hours.
The Dixons were granted unemployment compensation, over the objection of Hallmark, because Hallmark did not substantiate its claims of misconduct by the Dixons.
Read Our News Release for more details on this incredible case.
Liberty Counsel does not charge clients for representation, so we depend on individuals, groups and churches who care about preserving the culture. Liberty Counsel is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Donation are tax deductible as allowed by law. Learn more at www.LC.org.

unbelievable

I await the ACLU to jump on this as they always do

o sorry we’re talking about Christians not Muslims, so no CAIR, no ACLU, no liberal lawyers believing in religious freedom

They have a great case if this is what the woman said about them being too religious.

curious I wonder where the woman who booted them out, where is she from originally as I wonder she is not a native to here in Florida but maybe one of those north easterners what come down here telling everyone they have to change , they cannot fly their confederate flags, they cannot worship Jesus, they cannot fly and American flag on a housing association etc etc

Anyone know how we can send our well wishes to these people who were thwon out, let them know they are not on their own and they are doing the right thing as you can bet the media will be against them and only give one side to the story

Lake is near me and I have no idea why she would be offended by the religious symbol, I’;m in St Augustine and for here to Daytona to lake to JAX to the GA border over half the people go to church and are religious
In Fact churches are popping up everywhere up here in the north east part of Florida

It doesn’t say where the woman who did the firing is from but I bet she is a north easterner who came down here with that north east attitude.

take all the Apts and kick the other woman way back up to where she came from

“Read this earlier on WND.
I hope this couple ends up owning the complex they managed and this ditsy, PC, moonbat, broad, gets the same treatment this couple did—booted out on the street after it costs the company millions due to her narrow-minded, stupidity.”

It is a private company. We ought to eliminate all the “discrimination” laws as they apply to private parties. They fundamentally violate the Constitutional right of free association.

I do not believe Christians should be forced to associate with homosexuals, or that the reverse should be true either.

People have the right to freely associate with who they will. A right that has been violated with impunity and arrogance over the last 40 years.

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