Politics & Government
Religious Groups Rally Behind Former Fire Chief
Christian speakers claim Kelvin Cochran lost his job because of his religious beliefs, but the city claims the firing was a personnel call.
A dozen religious leaders spoke at a Tuesday rally outside the Georgia State Capitol and decried the recent firing of Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran as religious discrimination.
According to WSB-TV, speakers such as Dr. Robert White have demanded that Mayor Kasim Reed immediately reinstate Cochran and apologize for his Jan. 6 termination for publishing a personal book without prior approval or knowledge of the city.
Earlier this week, Elizabeth Baptist Church pastor Dr. Craig L. Oliver said that Kelvin Cochran’s firing should concern Christians nationwide, and added that an organization should not be able to muzzle one of its employees for expressing his or her religious views.
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The City of Atlanta said that the firing had nothing to do with Cochran’s religious beliefs, but because he published ”Who Told You You Are Naked?” without approval from the city. The city added that the chief did not help his cause by commenting on the city’s investigation into the matter while the process was still ongoing.
”Who Told You You Are Naked?” was self-published by Cochran in 2013 and allegedly contains anti-gay sentiment, including comparing homosexuality to bestiality and calling homosexuality a perversion.
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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. A spokesman for Mayor Kasim Reed said that the city did not tolerate discrimination or perceived discrimination against any class of people, including homosexuals.
According to WSB-TV, which acquired a copy of the city’s internal investigation into the matter, Cochran admitted giving copies of ”Who Told You You Are Naked?” to three people who did not ask for a copy, despite earlier public statements which claimed he only gave the book to some of his command staff.
On Jan. 6, Reed said during a press conference that the city and Cochran had decided to ”separate” in the wake of the controversy.
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