Ousted Atlanta Fire Chief Sues City, Mayor; Claims Religious Discrimination

The former chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department has sued his old employers, claiming he was fired due to religious statements he made in a self-published book.

WSB-TV says that the lawsuit, filed in federal court, names the City of Atlanta and Mayor Kasim Reed as defendants and argues that Kelvin Cochran’s employment was terminated because of the content of the book “Who Told You That You Are Naked?.” The book, written by Cochran, promoted Christian ideals in the fire department and allegedly declared homosexuality a perversion.

In late November, Cochran was suspended without pay when city leaders discovered he had published and distributed the book to members of the department without the permission or consent of the city.

On Jan. 6, Mayor Kasim Reed announced the city and Cochran had decided to “separate,” but said the termination was due to the former chief’s lack of permission to write the book in the first place. Reed explicitly stated during a press conference that the decision to fire Cochran was not based on the content of the book nor his religious beliefs.

In turn, Cochran claims he was given verbal permission to write the book and even sent a copy to Reed’s office, WSB-TV says.