|
Atheist soldier at Fort Riley sues Department of Defense Friday September 26, 2008 By John Hanna TOPEKA | The Defense Department says it receives few complaints from military personnel who think they’ve faced religious discrimination. But the Pentagon has a new federal lawsuit to deal with involving just that issue. An atheist soldier at Fort Riley and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation sued Defense Secretary Robert Gates in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., this week, alleging violations of the soldier’s religious freedoms. On Friday, Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said the Defense Department had received fewer than 50 complaints in the past three years. The armed forces have more than 2.2 million active-duty and Reserve personnel. “The department respects (and supports by its policy) the rights of others to their own religious beliefs, including the right to hold no beliefs,” Lainez said in a statement. “There are systems in place to provide a means to address and resolve any perceived unfair treatment.” Lainez said the department did not comment on pending lawsuits, but she quoted its policy on religious freedom: “The Department of Defense places a high value on the rights of members of the Armed Forces to observe the tenets of their respective religions.” Mikey Weinstein, the foundation’s president, said it was predictable that the department would characterize violations as rare. “The DoD stands for the Department of the Defiance — of the Constitution,” he said. “They need to wake up and realize that the Rapture is not an exit strategy. They’re not going to be able to pray their way out of this lawsuit.” In the lawsuit, Spc. Dustin Chalker, a combat medic with an engineering battalion, alleges he was required to attend three events from December 2007 to May 2008 at Fort Riley in which Christian prayers were delivered. Chalker has served in Iraq and Korea. The lawsuit also alleges the military allows religious discrimination by fundamentalist Christians who try to force their views on others, especially subordinates. Its examples include programs for soldiers, presentations by “anti-Muslim activists” and a “spiritual handbook” for soldiers endorsed by Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East. In March, the foundation and another atheist soldier at Fort Riley, Pfc. Jeremy Hall, filed a lawsuit raising similar issues. Hall alleges he was harassed by fellow soldiers in Iraq and after he returned late last year to military police duty, and that his promotion to sergeant was blocked. The post and the Army also have said they don’t condone discrimination, and Lainez noted the department’s policy. “The Department of Defense does not endorse any one religion or religious organization,” Lainez said. SUPPORT MRFF As we continue to fight in the courts, the media,
Make a secure donation of $25 or more. Both Click and Pledge and PayPal accept most major credit cards. PayPal account not required for donation.  
Your generous tax deductible pledge will help protect religious freedom in America |
