Trooper's Religious Discrimination Appeal Denied

[Brown]

From CNN and AP:

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday from an Indiana law officer fired for refusing to work at a casino.

The state trooper had said that the gambling enforcement assignment would force him to violate his religious beliefs.
...
[Benjamin] Endres, who is Baptist, said he was not opposed to general casino crime-fighting, but could not go along when the state designated him a full-time gaming officer and ordered him to report to a casino in Michigan City, Indiana.

I'm rather at a loss to understand the officer's religious complaint, especially since "he was not opposed to general casino crime-fighting." Is it that he didn't want to be around sinners? Well, if he didn't want to be around sinners, then perhaps he picked the wrong profession (and possibly the wrong planet).

The Seventh Circuit suggested that law enforcement officials need to enforce the law without regard to their religion. You certainly don't want an officer deciding which laws he will or won't enforce based upon his religious beliefs.

Besides, being a casino cop is cushy work! You get to stay indoors, in a temperature-controlled environment. Restrooms and refreshments are handy. Most patrons are well-behaved. You don't have to deal with things like domestic disturbances or drunken drivers or auto wrecks. Was this officer just stupid or what?

 

[Luceiia]

Seems he has a problem with being a specialized casino cop, rather than a generalized cop who has to occassionally handle gambling-related situations.

...

The Indiana State Police in South Bend assigned Benjamin Endres Jr. as a full-time gaming commission agent at the Blue Chips Casino in Michigan City, Ind. His job description listed gambling-related responsibilities, such as verifying gambling profits, investigating public complaints about the gaming system and performing license investigations for the casinos and their employees.

Endres claimed these duties would force him to violate his Baptist beliefs, which bar him from participating in or facilitating gambling. Endres asked his employer to reassign him. His request was denied, and when Endres failed to report to work he was fired.

...

The dissent, written by Judge Kenneth Ripple, noted that Endres was objecting only to a full-time casino assignment, and that he did not object to enforcing laws there as a police officer with more general duties.

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1081792928323


Luceiia

 

[corplinx]

I could imagine a Hindu gentleman working for the FDA but refusing to be assigned to be a beef inspector.

Of course, my remedy is to quit the job, not sue......