Fired for wearing Bible-verse T-shirts during Pride Month, Iowa man settles civil rights lawsuit with global corporation Eaton Corp.
A Christian employee who says he was fired for wearing Scripture-themed T-shirts to work in response to his company’s Pride Month celebration has reached an out-of-court settlement with his former employer, Eaton Corp.
Cosby “Corey” Cunningham, a former quality manager at the global power management company’s Davenport, Iowa, facility, filed a lawsuit in June 2024 alleging religious discrimination and civil rights violations. The legal action, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, has now concluded with a confidential agreement between the parties.
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Cunningham, a self-described born-again Christian, had worked for Eaton since 2019, handling product development in military and aerospace sectors. According to his lawsuit, tensions began in June 2023 when Eaton raised a pride flag at its headquarters and distributed emails encouraging employees to wear pride colors and purchase themed apparel.
In response, Cunningham began wearing shirts that quoted Bible verses. One of the shirts cited Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, an arrogant spirit before a fall.” Another stated: “Taking back the rainbow. Genesis 9:13,” while a third displayed: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6.”
Cunningham said the shirts were an expression of his sincerely held religious beliefs and part of his Christian witness. However, company managers reportedly told him the messages were seen as inflammatory. According to court filings, Eaton officials denied his request for a religious accommodation, sent him home on multiple occasions, and ultimately fired him on August 23, 2023.
The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), a conservative legal group focused on religious liberty, represented Cunningham. Attorney Robert Anderson, who led the case on behalf of PJI, declined to comment on the terms of the settlement. In its court response, Eaton Corp. denied any wrongdoing and maintained that its actions were based on “legitimate business reasons.”
This story includes material originally reported by Iowa Capital Dispatch.
