Washington, D.C.–After receiving First Liberty Institute’s appeal, as well as correspondence from Members of Congress, the Secretary of the Air Force today announced that it reversed the unfavorable decision of an Air Force Equal Opportunity investigator against decorated Air Force Colonel Leland Bohannon, clearing his name, and fully restoring his service record. Col.  Bohannon was on the verge of being promoted to a one-star general when he was suspended from command in 2017. Orders were also handed down recommending he not be promoted. The colonel was punished after he declined to sign a “certificate of spouse appreciation” for a retiring master sergeant’s same-sex spouse.  An Equal Opportunity investigator determined at the time that the colonel had discriminated against the airman – and went on to say that “even had the accommodation been granted, Col. Bohannon would nonetheless be guilty of unlawful discrimination.” First Liberty Institute, one of the nation’s most prominent religious liberty law firms, argued that the colonel went out of his way to accommodate the airman by having a two-star general sign the document. Col. Bohannon had flown combat missions in the Middle East and he is the … [Read more...]

Washington, DC—First Liberty Institute and attorneys with Kirkland and Ellis filed a lawsuit this evening with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of Oscar Rodriguez, Jr. and Charles “Chuck” Roberson alleging that Air Force officials violated the religious liberty of both Rodriguez and Roberson when uniformed Airmen abruptly interrupted a flag-folding ceremony at Roberson’s retirement and assaulted Rodriguez before he could use the word “God” in a flag folding speech. “No one should be assaulted for saying the word ‘God’ on an Air Force base,” said Hiram Sasser, General Counsel for First Liberty Institute. “Certainly, our United States Airmen are strong enough to be exposed to the word ‘God’ at a retirement ceremony.” During Roberson’s retirement ceremony held in April 2016 at Travis Air Force base, at which Rodriguez—himself a retired Airman—was Roberson’s invited guest, multiple, uniformed Air Force officials assaulted Rodriguez and forcibly removed Rodriguez from the ceremony for starting a speech that would include the word “God.” (Read Oscar’s entire speech by clicking here.) “I spent my career in the Air Force defending this country from its enemies,” said Oscar Rodriguez.  “I … [Read more...]