Christian public health expert Dr. Eric Walsh from Georgia's Department of Public Health was fired from his job in 2014 after he was censured for saying that homosexuality is a sin and evolution is a "religion created by Satan."
First Liberty Institute came to his rescue, and decided to represent him in his religious discrimination lawsuit against the State of Georgia. On Thursday, Walsh, who is also a Seventh-day Adventist lay minister, found vindication as the State of Georgia decided to pay him $225,000 to settle the case.
"I am grateful this trial has finally ended," Walsh said in a statement posted on First Liberty's website. "It's been a long, difficult journey, but it's worth it to have my name cleared and to ensure that all Georgia government employees know they have religious liberty."
Walsh's work woes began after he accepted the offer made by Georgia's Department of Public Health. Even though he was deemed as "bright, engaging and has a great personality," state officials had reservations about his religious standing and even asked him to submit recordings of his sermons in his church, which they decided to thoroughly review.
In his sermons, Walsh reportedly aired his views on homosexuals, Muslims, Catholics, popular culture, and Darwin's Theory of Evolution, among many other things. Two days after making the review, Walsh was fired.
"I couldn't believe they fired me because of things I talked about in my sermons," he recalled. "It was devastating. I have been unable to get a job in public health since then. By reviewing my sermons and firing me because of my religious beliefs, the State of Georgia destroyed my career in public service."
Thankfully, First Liberty was able to turn things around for him. Senior counsel Jeremy Dys said Christians should be able to feel safe in their own sanctuaries.
"If the government is allowed to fire someone over what he said in his sermons, then they can come after any of us for our beliefs on anything. We must ensure every American has the right to talk about their faith at church without getting fired or being barred from public service," he said.
