A Christian ex-employee of power generator company Generac filed a religious discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging that the company forced him out for refusing to use a “transgender” colleague’s preferred name and pronouns. The Christian Post reported that Spencer Wimmer alleges he received a disciplinary action note warning him he could be terminated for not using the preferred terms despite his positive performance record and the lack of any such requirement in Generac’s policies. A human resources representative reportedly told him his religious objections “did not make any sense,” and that transgender names and pronouns should be considered as innocuous as nicknames. Wimmer says he resigned on March 31, but attempted to rescind his resignation on April 2 upon learning he had other workplace protections for his religious freedom he could have invoked but was denied the ability to come back. He also says personal effects of his were returned “defaced and badly damaged,” including a Bible.
