Posted on 09/08/2003 11:52:06 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
An award-winning Georgia paramedic has filed a religious-discrimination lawsuit against her former employer, claiming she was terminated for merely inviting a co-worker to church.
Sherry Lambert, formerly of MedStarOne, a private ambulance company operating in Screven County, Ga., said she was working a 24-hour shift Oct. 31, 2001, when she invited the co-worker to a church service.
Lawyers for Liberty Counsel, a national civil-liberty education and legal-defense organization representing Lambert, said the co-worker did not object to the request, but managers at MedStarOne terminated Lambert less than a month later – Nov. 14 – after learning of the invitation.
"As a paramedic, Ms. Lambert worked in 24-hour shifts, during which she would receive approximately seven calls requiring her unit to respond to emergency situations," said a statement issued by the legal group. "During a large portion of each workday, she and her co-workers socialized in the station house waiting for the next call. Employees at the station house often talk about varied topics."
Lambert, a lifelong resident of Screven County, was voted "Best EMT/Paramedic" each year from 1999 – 2001. The polling is conducted by the local newspaper, the Sylvania Telephone. MedStarOne is the only ambulance service in the county.
Mathew D. Staver, the lead counsel for Lambert, said her suit, which was filed in U.S. district court in Savannah yesterday, charges the ambulance firm with a violation a federal law known as Title VII. The law prohibits employment discrimination on account of religion, he said, adding her suit is seeking reinstatement and back pay.
"It is reasonable during downtime while working a 24-hour shift for employees to communicate with each other and to invite one another to after-work activities," said Staver. "No employee had ever been terminated for this activity until Ms. Lambert invited a co-worker to her church."
He said ambulance company managers told Lambert they were firing her over the church invitation. According to Staver, the company did not have a policy in place at the time prohibiting such invitations or religion as a conversation topic. However, he told WorldNetDaily the company is currently in the process of writing and developing one "that bans employees from inviting anyone anywhere."
What is worse, he said, is that Lambert is locally recognized as a first-rate employee.
"For the past three years, Sherry Lambert has been voted the 'Best EMT/Paramedic' in the entire county," he said. "I'm appalled at the inflexibility and the harshness of the actions taken by MedStarOne against Ms. Lambert for merely inviting a co-worker to church."
Telephones at MedStarOne offices in Savannah went unanswered.
Staver said federal law prevents employers from turning workplace environments into zones hostile to religion and religious beliefs.
"During downtime or breaks when not performing essential functions of the job, the place of employment is not a religion-free zone," said Staver.
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