A former East Baton Rouge Parish Library employee, Luke Ash, has filed a federal lawsuit against the library system, alleging that his constitutional rights and federal employment law were violated when he was fired for refusing to use a coworker’s preferred pronouns. Ash, a pastor at Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, worked as a library technician from March to July 2025.

Background

Ash told his supervisors that his Christian faith prevented him from referring to a biological female employee with male pronouns, as it would violate his sincerely held religious beliefs. He offered to address coworkers by name instead of pronouns, which he believed would not impose an undue hardship on the library.

The library’s inclusivity policy states that employees have the right to be addressed by their chosen names and pronouns, and seeks to maintain a workplace where employees are welcomed and respected regardless of gender identity or expression. Ash was terminated after determining he would not comply with the policy.

Lawsuit Allegations

The lawsuit alleges that the library violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by failing to provide a reasonable religious accommodation before terminating Ash. It also alleges violations of the First Amendment’s protections for free speech and the free exercise of religion, the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and Louisiana’s Preservation of Religious Freedom Act.

Ash is seeking reinstatement, back pay, damages, and a court order blocking enforcement of the library’s employee inclusivity policy. The lawsuit follows months of unsuccessful efforts to resolve the dispute, including a charge of discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.