Pastor Fired from Job After Ignoring Chosen Pronoun
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Louisiana pastor said he was fired from his job at a local library after he refused to use a co-worker's preferred pronouns.
Luke Ash, the lead pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, said he was sacked from the East Baton Rouge Parish Library after a conversation on July 7.
Newsweek has contacted the library and Stevendale Baptist Church, on behalf of Ash, via email, for comment.
Why It Matters
This incident is part of a broader national debate over the balance between workplace inclusivity policies and individual religious or philosophical beliefs.
Libraries, schools and other institutions have implemented policies to create respectful environments for all employees, including protections for those who identify as transgender or non-binary.
But some may feel that such policies may conflict with employees' religious beliefs, resulting in disciplinary action or job loss.
Similar cases in education and other sectors have led to legal challenges, settlements, and public protests, with some leaping to the defense of religious rights and others emphasizing nondiscrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals.
What To Know
Ash, who had worked at the library as a technician for less than six months, described the events leading up to his dismissal to the conservative Christian political show Washington Watch with Tony Perkins.
He explained that he was talking to a co-worker about a different colleague they were training when he did not use preferred pronouns on July 7.
"That co-worker corrected me, said that the person she was training preferred to be called 'he' and I refused to use those preferred pronouns," Ash said. "The next day, I was reprimanded by my supervisor and the head of reference, and Thursday morning, I was fired for it."
"I said, I'm not going to lie."
Pastor Luke Ash, Lead Pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, shares how he was fired from his job last week at the local library for not using preferred pronouns. pic.twitter.com/xZqv8MSr3r — Tony Perkins (@tperkins) July 15, 2025
Ash said he was given the option to use the colleague's preferred pronouns but still did not want to.
"I'm not going to lie, I cannot do it," he told Perkins.
Ash told ABC Baton Rouge affiliate broadcaster WBRZ-TV that he knew what he did was against the library's code of conduct for employees.
Indeed, the policy, reviewed by WBRZ-TV, states that employees have the right to be referred to with their preferred pronouns.
What People Are Saying
Ash said: "I believe that there are religious convictions and there are other kinds of convictions, and when those things are in contradiction with each other, there has to be given preference for one or the other."
Forum for Equality board member Logan Wolf told WBRZ-TV: "You just have to treat someone with basic decency, and I think that's at the crux here.This person willingly violated policies and procedures of the EBR library towards another employee, and I think that's not okay. He's doing this because he wants to be aggrieved, instead of actually being aggrieved, and it's just not right."
What Happens Next
It is unclear whether Ash plans to pursue legal action against the library for his dismissal. Similar disputes nationally have resulted in lawsuits and public debate over rights and policy enforcement.
The outcome of this case could hinge on the interpretation of anti-discrimination and religious freedom statutes in Louisiana and may contribute to ongoing discussions about the balance between workplace inclusivity and individual convictions.
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