Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed erupted on Facebook against his fire chief’s personally published book several weeks ago, declaring Kelvin Cochran’s writings “deeply disturbed” him. Reed threatened he would not “tolerate discrimination of any kind” and suspended Cochran.
An investigation cleared Cochran of the discrimination charges, but when his suspension was over, Reed fired him.
Now, one of the nation’s most influential teams of attorneys defending individual and religious rights, the Alliance Defending Freedom, says it is taking up Reed’s case.
“The city fired him for nothing other than his faith, and that’s not constitutional,” said Kevin Theriot, a senior counsel for ADF. “We are currently assessing the legal options available to vindicate his rights to free speech and freedom of religion.”
Fox News recently profiled the case, noting Cochran is a “decorated firefighter” who had both Atlanta municipal and federal positions.
“He is also a devout Christian. He’s a deacon at a Baptist church and also teaches Sunday school. But all accounts – he is a decent and honorable man,” Fox reported.
Reed criticized the biblical stance Cochran took in his book, titled “Who Told You That You Were Naked?” But the mayor insisted Cochran was not fired because of his religious beliefs.
Instead, it was his “poor judgment.”
“Tolerance is a two-way street,” Theriot said. “That’s what a federal appeals court said not long ago about public officials who claim to love diversity while only tolerating views they themselves favor. Chief Cochran served the city of Atlanta with distinction, both before and after his post with the Obama administration.”
ADF pointed out that the city had granted Cochran permission to publish his Christian book. But then it refused to tolerate the view that sex is reserved exclusively for marriage, the union of one man and one woman.
The city of Atlanta was under pressure, with media including the New York Times editorial board declaring it didn’t matter that Cochran didn’t mistreat “gays” or lesbians, he needed to be held “to a different standard.”
Georgia Baptist Convention Executive Director Robert White told Fox News that sounded like a seriously troubled opinion.
“It declares his innocence and then declares him guilty,” he said. “Guilty of what? He didn’t discriminate against any homosexuals. He vowed that he wanted to have a healthy work place for all of his employees.”
Cochran, in a statement released by ADF, said, “I am heartbroken that I will no longer be able to serve the city and the people I love as fire chief for no reason other than my Christian faith.”
He said it’s “ironic that the city points to tolerance and inclusion as part of its reasoning.”
“What could be more intolerant and exclusionary than ending a public servant’s 30 years of distinguished service for his religious beliefs?” he asked.
“The most baffling thing is that I had permission to write my book and I was exonerated of discriminating against anyone,” Cochran said. “This happened to me, but it’s really not about me. It’s a warning to every American that freedom of speech and freedom of religion are hanging by a thread, which will snap if we don’t fight to preserve these cherished protections.”
In an editorial, commentator Bryan Fischer said: “It has now become a fire-able offense in Atlanta to believe the Bible. Mao, Stalin and Ho Chi Minh couldn’t have done it any better.”
He pointed out the 160-page self-published book was for the men in his Bible study at church.
“He correctly described homosexuality as a ‘sexual perversion,’ which it is. It twists, distorts and, yes, perverts God’s design for human sexuality,” Fischer wrote.
The book also now is getting attention on Amazon.com, where it was No. 987 among all books and No. 3 among Bible study books.
One reviewer said he bought the book precisely because Atlanta made an issue of it, and one “gay” critic even endorsed it.
Another reviewer wrote: “I must agree that sex was intended for procreation and that what Cochran says is essentially correct. … We are supposed to have freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the press in America, but the politically correct would burn every heretic at the stake if they could. … Too many of my friends died because they took the wrong path.”
FoxNews.com’s Todd Starnes also reported that a rally for hundreds of Christians was held at the Georgia capitol to protest Cochran’s firing.
Among the participants was the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the Georgia Baptist Convention and the Family Research Council.
Starnes reported Cochran told him: “The LGBT members of our community have a right to be able to express their views and convictions about sexuality and deserve to be respected for their position without hate or discrimination. But Christians also have a right to express our belief regarding our faith and be respected for our position without hate and without discrimination.”
