A chaplain at an Orlando-based hospital recently filed a lawsuit against the Orlando Health Company for wrongful termination.
The chaplain, Reverend Jay McCaig, said he was fired from the hospital because he voiced pro-life views on his social media accounts.
McCaig says that his pro-life views are a part of his religion and that the company violated his rights by firing him.
Anti-abortion posts on Facebook cost a pastor his hospital chaplain job. Now he’s suing Orlando Health. https://t.co/xvmvpktH45
— Sam -GSD- Fisher 🐝⚖💛 (@SamFish90) November 28, 2022
In his lawsuit, he alleged that Orlando Health did not provide details that explained which of his posts violated their policies. Saying he “was not told which post or posts on his personal Facebook page violated Orlando Health’s company policy, nor was he informed which company policy he violated,”
McCaig said that while he finds abortion to be “immoral, a sin against God, and contrary to such teachings of the Bible,” he never discussed his beliefs on abortion with patients at the hospital.
Kena Lewis, a spokesperson for Orlando Health, disputed the allegations in the lawsuit, though she refused to say why McCaig was fired.
“Mr. McCaig’s complaint mischaracterizes the facts and the reasons for his termination, which were completely unrelated to his religious beliefs. As indicated in the Complaint, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has already reviewed Mr. McCaig’s allegations and decided not to proceed with any further investigation or action. We will have no further comment on this matter,” Lewis said in a statement Monday.
Hospital chaplains have come under increasing levels of scrutiny for their political views. On Monday, a Wisconsin pediatric hospital came under fired for hiring chaplains who engage in left-wing activism.
🚨NEW🚨 Children's Wisconsin, a premier pediatric hospital, is stacking its bench of "chaplains" with radical transgender activists. Thread 🧵
— Kylee Griswold (like the family vacation) (@kyleezempel) November 28, 2022
Karen Frenier, the hospital’s chief human resources officer, also responded to McCaig’s lawsuit.
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“Orlando Health has a commitment to providing an environment that recognizes, values, and respects the diversity of our community, patients and families, physicians, and team members,” Frenier wrote. “There were concerns about your ability to provide spiritual and emotional care for Orlando Health’s diverse patient and team member population given your public social media posts.” She said.
John Gibson, a prominent video game developer, was also fired from the entertainment company Tripwire earlier this year for expressing pro-life views on social media.
Tripwire, the developer behind Killing Floor and Rising Storm, has fired its CEO, John Gibson, after he spoke out against abortion.#CancelTripwire pic.twitter.com/xJblfro3eG
— American Krogan (@AmericanKrogan) September 7, 2021
McCaig, for his part, said that his pro-life beliefs are a part of his religion and that he took care to express them outside of his official role as chaplain.
“My beliefs regarding abortion are my religious beliefs and my understanding of the Biblical text. Those religious beliefs are why I was terminated,” his response to the lawsuit said, adding that he did not include his employment on his Facebook page.
Other stories you may want to read:
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