What doesn’t offend him?
Facing allegations from former city firefighter Jeffrey Queen that he was subjected to a hostile work environment during his five years in the Bowling Green Fire Department, the city of Bowling Green on Friday acknowledged the existence of a video showing a firefighter burning the Quran, one of many accusations of misconduct in a lawsuit filed by Queen earlier this week.
Queen’s lawsuit against the city of Bowling Green and BGFD Deputy Chief Dustin Rockrohr was moved Thursday from Warren Circuit Court to U.S. District Court in Bowling Green and has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Greg Stivers, federal court records show.
Queen, who was a BGFD firefighter for five years until leaving the department earlier this year, claims that he was subjected to a hostile work environment based on religion, his sex and perceived lack of gender conformity.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Michele Henry of Louisville, claims that Queen’s colleagues and supervisors harassed him due to his atheism and used anti-gay slurs to refer to him.
Firefighters also used anti-gay, racial and ethnic slurs when discussing members of the community, according to Queen, who alleges that he witnessed one firefighter burn the Quran and mock the Islamic call to prayer in a 2015 incident outside the BGFD Airport Station.
“Jeff brought this case to the court because he wanted to see real change in the way the city handles firefighters and other public safety officers that engage in this kind of conduct,” Henry said Friday. “His goal is to end this kind of discriminatory animus in those sectors.”
In a statement issued Friday, the city acknowledged receiving a complaint in April regarding the incident as well as a video of the Quran-burning incident.
The firefighter depicted in the video, who has not been identified in court records, was immediately placed on administrative leave but retired before any further disciplinary action could be taken, according to the city’s statement.