Sacked ATL fire chief files federal complaint alleging religious discrimination
Sacked Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran isn't going away. From our AJC colleague Steve Visser:
Former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran has filed a federal discrimination complaint contending he faced religious discrimination when the City fired him after he published a book that contained controversial statements about homosexuality.
Ousted fire chief Kelvin Cochran talks at a press conference after learning of his termination. Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com
Cochran swore out the complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by the City of Atlanta on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“Americans are guaranteed the freedom to live without fear of losing their jobs because of their beliefs and thoughts. We are continuing to evaluate all available legal options to vindicate Chief Cochran after his unjust termination,” said Crumly, who is allied with the group Alliance Defending Freedom, which has rallied to Cochran’s defense.
City spokeswoman Anne Torres said the City did not know of the complaint but intended to defend Reed’s decision to fire Cochran “whether, through the EEOC administrative process or in any other appropriate forum.”
So at what point do we start including Cochran on a list of prospective 2017 candidates for mayor of Atlanta?
About the Author
Jim Galloway, the newspaper’s former political columnist, was a writer and editor at the AJC for four decades.
