Bi-Vocational Pastor Luke Ash Was Fired From A Lousiana Library Over Its Pronoun Policy
BATON ROUGE, LA — A pastor is fighting back after being fired from his job at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library for refusing to use pronouns that conflict with his religious beliefs. Bi-vocational Pastor Luke Ash, was terminated unlawfully over the library’s “pronoun policy” and now legal action is imminent, unless the library course corrects by November 10.
Pastor Ash had worked as a library services technician, performing everyday tasks like checking out books, assisting patrons, and managing resources. But when the library implemented an “inclusivity policy” requiring staff to use colleagues’ preferred pronouns, Pastor Ash faced a moral dilemma. He holds sincere Christian beliefs that gender identity is inconsistent with God’s design for human sexuality and believes lying about pronouns could harm others, particularly those struggling with gender confusion.
When his supervisors introduced the pronoun policy, Pastor Ash told them plainly that he was not going to lie. Soon afterward, he was terminated. The library later claimed he was a probationary employee fired for multiple “infractions,” but Florida based Liberty Counsel notes that Pastor Ash was never written up for any misconduct and was never offered a religious accommodation — a requirement under federal law.
Liberty Counsel argues the library’s policy violates state and federal law. A recent demand letter sent October 17 states that under the First Amendment, the state “may not compel affirmance of a belief with which the speaker disagrees” and emphasizes that both the First Amendment and the Louisiana Constitution protect religious free exercise.
“[The] Library has no compelling government interest in requiring employees to speak pronouns that do not accurately reflect biological sex, when employees are not required to speak at all; nor in requiring employees to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs,” the letter reads.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said the firing was illegal.
“The East Baton Rouge Parish Library acted unlawfully in firing Pastor Luke Ash for the U.S. Constitution and Louisiana law protect his right to uphold his beliefs and refuse false pronouns. The library also violated Title VII for not even considering a religious accommodation for Pastor Ash. There is no compelling interest in requiring Pastor Ash to lie or affirm false sex-based pronouns. Employers cannot force people to choose between their faith and their livelihood. The library has a chance to reinstate Pastor Ash and rectify this potentially costly mistake.”
The case highlights a growing conflict between government employers’ diversity policies and individual religious freedoms. For Pastor Ash, the issue is deeply personal: standing by his faith while continuing to serve his community.
If the library fails to comply with corrective actions recommended by Liberty Counsel, legal proceedings are expected to follow.
