Christian Lifeguard in California Suspended After Refusing to Fly Pride Flag

Captain Jeffrey Little has served as a lifeguard with the Los Angeles Country Fire Department for over 20 years in an exemplary career. Yet, this evangelical Christian father is being represented by the Thomas More Society for refusing to raise a gay pride flag on his lifeguard station in June. He asserts his request for a religious exemption was granted, then revoked, and that he has been retaliated against by his superiors as a result. Thomas More Society contends that when Little’s division chief hand-delivered the disciplinary paperwork, “He told Captain Little to his face: ‘Your religious beliefs don’t matter.’” 

On May 25, 2023, the L.A. County Fire Department issued a memorandum requiring the rainbow pride flag to be flown at all department facilities, which includes all lifeguard stands. The official directive required captains and site supervisors to “[e]nsure flags are received and flown throughout the month of June” in celebration of “pride month.”

Last year, the Los Angeles Times reported Capt. Little received a “partial” concession, exempting him from the requirement to raise an unofficial flag that violates his own faith and personal convictions about marriage and sexuality. In his lawsuit against the county, Little argues the policy was in “direct conflict” with his “traditional Christian beliefs regarding the moral illicitness of same-sex activity, the immutability of sex regardless of gender identity, and the view that all people are children of God regardless of their skin color.”

Originally, Little asked to work at one of the lifeguard posts without a flagpole that could accommodate the flag. He was denied that possibility.

Little was not alone in his concerns about having to perform his job under a flag that is ideologically offensive to him. Paul Jonna, special counsel for the Thomas More Society who is representing Little, explains, “My office is informed that the Fire Department has received possibly hundreds of additional religious accommodation requests similar in nature to Captain Little’s.”

Last May, L.A. Fire Chief Anthony Marrone understood he would face pushback from employees for having to assent to gender ideology via the rainbow flag, reported the Los Angeles Times. So Marrone issued the following directive to all staff: “Last year we faced challenges with compliance at several Department facilities, I want to be intentional and clear that compliance is not optional.” The edict is given: All county employees must cooperate with gay pride indoctrination.

Fox News reported just days ago that “Little took down several flags and was later placed under investigation and ultimately suspended for 15 days without pay.” 

Fox further explains, “The county says Little was not punished for his religious beliefs but for taking down government-issued Pride flags without authorization and violating department policy.”

Yet, Thomas More’s special counsel explained to Fox News Digital that Little removed the flags believing he was acting in accordance with the accommodation granted by the county. He also understood that a few stations were free not to fly the pride flag because they lacked proper equipment under the county’s circulated policy. Jonna explained other pride flags had been removed from stations by other lifeguards for similar reasons.

Jonna also said Little was being isolated with harsher punishment as other lifeguards “vandalized and desecrated” rainbow flags, yet either did not receive discipline or faced shorter suspensions than Little who went through proper channels requesting his religious accommodation against flying the flag.

Little is suing the county for the uneven treatment he has faced and is seeking a permanent religious exemption from having to perform his life-saving job every June under a political and ideological banner that is offensive to him.

The case is Captain Jeffrey Little v. Los Angeles County.