Religious Leaders Clash with Baton Rouge Library Board over Employee’s Firing in Pronoun Dispute
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA, JUL 16 – Luke Ash was terminated for violating the library’s inclusivity policy by refusing to use a transgender co-worker’s preferred pronouns, sparking debate on religious freedom and workplace rights.
- Louisiana pastor Luke Ash was fired on July 10, 2025, from East Baton Rouge Parish Library for refusing to use a coworker's preferred pronouns.
- Ash's dismissal followed a July 7 conversation where he declined to use the colleague's pronouns citing religious convictions, which conflicts with library policy.
- More than 30 pastors, led by Woodlawn Baptist's Lewis Richerson, demanded Ash's reinstatement and requested policy changes to respect religious beliefs at a tense library board meeting.
- Governor Jeff Landry stated on X that "preferred pronouns don't exist—only biological ones!" and insisted Louisianans should not lose jobs for refusing to lie about pronouns.
- The case highlights a wider national debate about balancing workplace inclusivity with religious freedom, with potential legal outcomes hinging on Louisiana's anti-discrimination statutes.
25 Articles
25 Articles
‘I’m Not Going to Lie’: Louisiana Pastor Fired From Public Library over Trans Pronouns
Last week, a Christian pastor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, found himself fired from his job at the local public library after he refused to use the preferred pronouns of a co-worker who identified as the opposite sex. The firing occurred despite a growing legal precedent supporting the free speech rights of those who say they cannot be forced to utter language that they believe is wrong. On July 7, Luke Ash, who serves as lead pastor of Stevendale…
Pastor fired when he resists orders to lie about coworker's gender * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh
Forced language fights have erupted over and over in recent years as the LGBT ideology, specifically transgenderism, ardently was promoted by the administration of Joe Biden
Local pastors ask EBR Library board to rehire employee fired over pronoun use
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — More than 40 pastors and Christian leaders from across East Baton Rouge Parish are calling on the Library Board of Control to reinstate a public employee who was fired after refusing to use preferred pronouns, citing religious objections. In a letter from July 17, the signers said that firing Mr. Luke Ash from the East Baton Rouge Parish Library System violated his rights to religious freedom and free speech.…
Religious leaders clash with Baton Rouge library board over employee’s firing in pronoun dispute
A tense exchange erupted during Thursday’s East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board meeting, as a group of local pastors demanded the reinstatement of a former library employee who claims he was fired for refusing to use a coworker’s preferred pronouns.
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