Aaron Rents Franchisee Fired Jehovah’s Witness for Religious Objection to ‘Red Shirt Fridays,’ Federal Agency Charged
DALLAS – Denton, Texas-based Alliance Rental Center, L.P., which operates several Aaron Rents franchises in North Texas, will pay a former employee $21,500 and furnish other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit (Civil Action No. 3:09-CV-1757-F), Tyler Templeton, a product technician, was fired when he declined to participate in the company’s “Red Shirt Friday” dress code, a store practice intended to show support for the U.S. military. Alliance required employees to wear red shirts provided by the company on Fridays as a show of support for the armed forces. As a Jehovah’s Witness, it is Templeton’s religious belief that he is not to express opinions about government matters, including military affairs. The EEOC said that Templeton informed his supervisors about his religious beliefs and his observance of neutrality on issues of war, including m...