US court sides with CDC over fight with counselor
Feb 7, 2012, 6:45 PM
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) – A federal appeals court has rejected arguments from a former counselor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who claims her religious rights were violated because she was fired for refusing to counsel a gay woman.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld a judge’s decision to dismiss Marcia Walden’s lawsuit against the CDC.
Walden worked as a contractor for the CDC in 2007 when a woman came to her for advice involving a same-sex relationship. She was let go after she told the woman she couldn’t help because her “personal values” as a devout Christian prevented her from offering any assistance.
Walden said her firing was a result of religious discrimination, but the three-judge panel said it was not persuaded by her arguments.
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