Man sues KC construction company, says he was fired for his religious views
A Riverside, Missouri, man is suing a Kansas City construction company, saying he was fired because he didn’t share his co-workers’ religious beliefs.
Brett Keller is suing JR & Co. on the basis of religious discrimination, retaliation and a hostile work environment, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in a Jackson County court. . He is seeking his position back with the company or front salary and benefits until his retirement, on top of an unspecified amount of money in damages.
JR & Co. is a “veteran-owned, family-operated construction company” in Kansas City that was established in 1986 in Le Mars, Iowa, according to the company’s website. The company has locations in Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Arkansas and Florida.
Keller was hired as the company’s residential operations manager on April 17, 2023, according to a petition filed in Jackson County court. He boosted the department’s revenue by hundreds of thousands of dollars and won an MVP award at the end of his first year at the company, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit claims a co-worker stopped Keller in fall 2023 and asked him if he believed in God. Keller told the co-worker he “had some questions around things like that,” according to the lawsuit.
Shortly after his conversation with the co-worker, Keller was told he needed to complete a performance review, the lawsuit states. During the review, at least two other people, whose names were redacted from court documents, spent around 30 to 45 minutes discussing religion.
Keller told the other parties he didn’t want to talk about his personal life or religion at work, and they then “began preaching” to Keller “about God, religion, and the Bible,” according to the lawsuit. They also reportedly told Keller he needed to listen to a religious podcast.
Matthew Reid, general counsel for JR & Co., told The Star in an email Wednesday that the company could not comment on pending litigation.
“That said, JR & Co. is an equal opportunity employer that makes employment decisions based solely on qualifications, performance, and business needs,” Reid said. “We are confident that our employment practices comply with all applicable laws and reflect our company’s longstanding commitment to fairness, respect, and integrity.”
The lawsuit states that Keller had been “essentially running” the company’s residential department, heading meetings and trainings. During monthly meetings, the company held a group prayer for attendees that Keller did not participate in.
In March 2024, Keller began hearing rumors that the vice president position in the residential department may be opening, according to court documents. When Keller asked co-workers if the position was open, they “avoided the conversation.”
Shortly after that conversation, someone was hired into the vice president role, according to the lawsuit. A co-worker told Keller the person who got the role was “a God-fearing man.”
The company invited a pastor to pray at meetings and hosted a Bible study, which Keller did not participate in, court documents state. In one meeting, an unknown person allegedly said, “if your relationship isn’t focused on God, you will have problems in your relationship.”
Sometime between April and August, Keller was asked about his religious beliefs at a work lunch, according to the lawsuit. He said he did not want to talk about his religious beliefs at work. Soon after, he received an email allegedly questioning his work ethic.
The email reportedly threatened Keller that he could “step down to be a coordinator only,” according to court documents. When Keller met with a supervisor, that supervisor told him he needed to “take responsibility” for ongoing issues.
After filing a complaint with human resources, Keller was allegedly demoted, and was replaced with “a very religious individual,” court documents state.
A few days later, a co-worker texted Keller and asked if he was going to church, according to court documents.
Keller said no. A few days later, he was fired, court documents allege.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits “disparate treatment, job segregation, or harassment based on religious belief or practice (or lack thereof),” according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
