Manager harasses atheist employee at work party, Colorado suit says. Then worker fired
A former city employee was harassed about his religious views at a work holiday party and ultimately fired after he reported the exchanges, according to a new lawsuit in Colorado.
Austin Ray, an atheist, filed the civil action against the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure in January in federal court. The lawsuit alleges he was discriminated and retaliated against, and it seeks unspecified damages.
Ray’s attorney couldn’t immediately be reached by McClatchy News on Feb. 28 about the lawsuit. Neither could attorneys representing the city and county of Denver.
In a response in court, attorneys for the city and county denied discrimination and retaliation.
Ray started working for the department in October 2023, and he “experienced no material issues or concerns with his job” during the first two months, according to a court filing.
But that changed after a holiday party on Dec. 22, 2023, during which an assistant manager “directly harassed” him about his views on religion, the filing said.
The woman asked him in front of about three other workers whether he believed in God, according to the filing. She “proceeded to repeatedly pose questions to Mr. Ray about Christmas, and when he attempted to deflect those inquiries, (she) kept insisting that Mr. Ray answer the question, ‘Don’t you believe in God?’” the filing said.
Ray’s manager didn’t step in, even when Ray “looked to (him) for assistance,” the filing said.
Ray was offended and humiliated, according to the filing.
He reported what happened to two human resources officials and another city official, according to the filing, and “with each exchange, (he) was led to believe that measures to correct the discriminatory misconduct were underway.”
However, Ray’s manager began to retaliate and “went to great lengths to make it appear that (he) was incapable of performing his job,” the court filing said.
Ray was “abruptly terminated” in March 2024, without “any write-ups, performance improvement plans or discipline of any kind, and in the absence of any follow-up” from human resources, the filing said.
“The disparate treatment and hostility” he experienced “was both retaliatory and discriminatory in nature, as the mistreatment was motivated by his multiple protected activities in complaining about discriminatory practices, as well as by his atheist beliefs,” the filing said.
This story was originally published February 28, 2025 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Manager harasses atheist employee at work party, Colorado suit says. Then worker fired."
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