By Leila Merrill
AUSTIN, Texas — A man who served as the lead chaplain for the Austin Fire Department is suing the fire chief and the city, saying he was unfairly fired because of his opinions on transgender athletes that he expressed in a personal blog, KXAN reported.
Andrew Fox, who volunteered with the department for eight years and helped establish its chaplaincy program, said the city of Austin and Chief Joel G. Baker “violated his First Amendment right to free speech and free exercise of religion, and violated the Texas Constitution,” according to the lawsuit.
In the July 2021 blog post in question, Fox stated, “men and women are created biologically distinct and … men should not compete on women’s sports teams.”
According to the lawsuit, fire department leaders asked Fox to “recant and apologize” for posting his opinions, and when Fox refused, he was fired. The blog reportedly raised concerns that some members of the fire department wouldn’t feel comfortable seeking out Fox’s help because of his views.
The Austin Fire Department released a statement to KXAN saying: “The Austin Fire Department appreciates Dr. Fox’s service as a volunteer chaplain. However, we do not expound on matters involving personnel and/or those affiliated with our department in an official capacity.”