A Christian lifeguard who alleges he was suspended for refusing to display pride flags at a California beach is set to go to trial against Los Angeles County, according to his legal representatives. Jeffrey Little, a veteran captain in the LA County Fire Department's Lifeguard Division, initiated a lawsuit against the county in 2024 after he stated he would not hang Progress Pride flags while on duty, as detailed in the court filing reviewed by the Daily Mail.
Background of the Policy
The Progress Pride flag differs from the traditional rainbow pride flag as it incorporates additional colors representing more groups, including people of color, as well as the transgender and intersex communities. In 2023, the county enacted a new policy mandating the display of Progress Pride flags during Pride month at all government facilities. Little, a devout Christian, argued that this policy conflicted with his religious beliefs concerning sexuality and marriage, and he could not personally raise the flag or instruct his subordinates to do so, according to the lawsuit.
Religious Exemption Request
Initially, the county accepted Little's request for a religious exemption but reversed its decision two days later, the filing states. Tensions escalated after Little removed several Pride flags from lifeguard stations while on duty, leading county officials to claim he violated department rules by damaging government-issued flags without authorization. Subsequently, Little was investigated and received a 15-day unpaid suspension, the lawsuit contends.
Little's attorney, Paul Jonna, argued that his client believed he was acting under his accommodation when he removed the flags, and that other Pride flags had been taken down from stations earlier that month for the same reason, Fox News Digital reported. Jonna noted that other lifeguards who 'vandalized and desecrated' the flag received shorter suspensions or no discipline at all, unlike his client. The suit also alleges that during the incident, Lifeguard Division Chief Fernando Boiteux told Little that his 'religious beliefs do not matter.'
Retaliation and Discrimination Claims
Little further claims he faced retaliation, harassment, and discrimination after requesting the religious accommodation. His case is now being prepared for trial following a hearing last week, Jonna told Fox News Digital. The decision came after a federal judge issued a sealed ruling that both denied and granted in part the county's motion for summary judgment and Little's motion for partial summary judgment.
The Thomas More Society, representing Little, stated in a release that the goal of the case is not to eliminate the county's Pride flag policy but to secure a religious accommodation exempting Little from personally raising the flag or directing others to do so. 'Captain Little asked only that his own sincerely held religious beliefs be respected,' Jonna said. 'The County’s own records show accommodating him would barely register as a rounding error in its billion-dollar budget. That is exactly the kind of modest, workable accommodation the law requires to ensure our constitutional rights are safeguarded. Here, the Court has an opportunity to make clear that religious beliefs do matter and that the law says so.'
A trial date has not been officially set as of Tuesday. The Daily Mail contacted the Thomas More Society and Los Angeles County for comment.
