Fired, trans pastor sues Baptist church
An Ontario pastor who was fired from a Baptist Church after declaring herself transgender has filed a wrongful dismissal complaint, alleging her dismissal was motivated by discrimination.
Reverend Junia Joplin introduced herself as a man when she initially took up the post of senior pastor at Lorne Park Baptist Church in 2014, and continued to do so until she introduced herself to the congregation in a broadcast sermon. live in June of last year. In a statement that has yet to be presented to court, Ms. Joplin says she received support from some members of the congregation and other Baptist churches and organizations after making her announcement. However, the lawsuit alleges that in the following days the Church in Mississauga, Ont. Unilaterally suspended her from her duties and provided no date for her return to office. The complaint alleges that Ms. Joplin was subsequently subjected to an "unfair process" in which worshipers questioned her in a series of virtual assemblies and, in July 2020, voted to terminate her employment. In an interview this week, Ms. Joplin said her firing and the way it was carried out left her with "a kind of anxiety about the work of the Church and the life of the Church" that she had never felt before. “It was really my first steps in social transition. It's a tough place to live, I think any trans person will tell you it can be scary, feeling vulnerable. This is a time when support is so essential and unfortunately for many of us we don't get it in places like our workplace, ”she mentioned. “But for that to happen in this context of a caring community - I think one of the hardest things for me has been knowing that I am going through one of the most important and difficult times that I have ever had. cross in my life and am quite isolated from my faith community, where I would most naturally go for support. " Lorne Park Baptist Church said on Wednesday that it had gone through a "process of attempting to discern the will of God" after Ms. Joplin's announcement , and that it had done so "in a prudent and prudent manner. thoughtful ”. “In the end, the congregation voted to end his job as the church's senior pastor, with the majority of the votes terminating for theological reasons. We gave him what we believe to be fair severance pay, ”said David Huctwith, chairman of the church's executive board, in a statement. M me Joplin said she hoped that the pursuit would help make Canada a more inclusive and safer place for trans people. “I don't want other people going through this, I don't want other queer people to establish a relationship with religious communities that don't welcome them unconditionally and wholeheartedly,” she said. During her tenure at Lorne Park, Junia Joplin had "led a progressive and inclusive ministry for LGBTQ" "with the support of the Church, according to the lawsuit. Additionally, Canadian Baptists in Ontario and Quebec, to which the Lorne Park Baptist Church is affiliated, have ordained women for more than 70 years, the document says. In a series of virtual town halls with the congregation, Ms. Joplin was asked to answer "difficult and (in many cases) deeply personal" questions about her transition, her "coming out" and the possible impact of her life. these things about the Church and its members, the lawsuit notes. She was also ordered not to discuss these matters with the congregation, it is written. Members of the congregation were then asked to vote on whether Junia Joplin's previously indefinite employment was to be reduced to an 18-month contract or if it was to end outright, according to the lawsuit. Those who voted to fire her were then asked to clarify whether their choice was based on religious beliefs, the document says. Fifty-eight of the 111 voters chose to terminate his employment, and of these, 50 said it was "totally or in part" due to a religious belief, it is said. The lawsuit, which seeks nearly $ 200,000 in damages, alleges that the Church violated the Human Rights Code, which prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of gender identity, l expression of gender, sex and other grounds. She argues that although the code allows religious organizations to give preference to people of a similar belief, this exemption only applies when the belief is a professional qualification, and it does not allow discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression. Lorne Park Baptist Church "has failed to make a careful and careful consideration of the nature and essential duties of the Senior Pastor, nor has it demonstrated an honest, good faith and sincere belief that Reverend Joplin did not have. a qualification which was reasonably necessary in relation to these duties, ”argues the prosecution. If the court finds that the exemption applies, the prosecution argues that it should be declared unconstitutional because it “unreasonably and unjustifiably limits the right to equality” enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Lorne Park Baptist Church said it believed the exemption applied and the decision to fire Junia Joplin was therefore legal. The Church has asserted that it does not take a position on the constitutional argument.
PAOLA LORIGGIO
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https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2021-08-11/ontario/congediee-une-pasteure-trans-poursuit-une-eglise-baptiste.php
PRESS
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2021-08-11/ontario/congediee-une-pasteure-trans-poursuit-une-eglise-baptiste.php