Lifeguard who took down Pride flags at beach sues L.A. County over religious discrimination [View all]

A longtime Los Angeles County lifeguard stationed in Pacific Palisades near a stretch beloved by gay beachgoers is suing the county for requiring him to work feet away from a Pride flag last summer and punishing him for taking three of the flags down.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court May 24 a week before this year’s Pride month kicks off, brings the county’s sparkling coastline squarely into the nation’s culture wars.

Jeffrey Little, an evangelical Christian who has worked for the county for more than 22 years, is represented by attorneys from the Thomas More Society, a conservative Catholic legal group known for challenging abortion rights, the 2020 election results and same-sex marriage.

In a show of support for LBGTQ+ constituents, officials with both the city of Los Angeles and L.A. County have recently pushed to raise the Pride flag at government buildings. Last year, the county board of supervisors voted to require that many government buildings fly the Progress Pride flag throughout Pride month.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-05-29/christian-lifeguard-sues-la-county-over-pride-flag-on-beach