Christian Healthcare Worker Fired and Condemned by Hospital for Beliefs
Read time: 3 minutes 40 seconds
The American workplace is increasingly hostile towards Christians these days. Companies are becoming more aggressive towards those who hold certain religious beliefs, and target their workers who practice those beliefs.
This was made evident during the COVID pandemic when certain workers, many in the healthcare field who were initially hailed as heroes, were sacrificed at the altar of the vaccine craze.
Now, the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) worshipers is targeting Christians who do not bend the knee to their altar.
Valerie Kloosterman had been a physician’s assistant at the University of Michigan Health—West when she was targeted for her Christian beliefs and summarily fired.
Kloosterman had worked in the medical field for 17 years, and had dealt with many diverse types of patients, including members of the LGBT community. She had never complained about working with them, it was when she was instructed to perform tasks that went against her Christian beliefs that she declined.
Ms. Kloosterman was asked to undergo training, sign off and agree to referrals for transgender surgeries and using a patient’s preferred pronouns. As a Christian who believes in the perfection and divinity of God, she believes that God made man and woman only and thus requested a religious exemption.
In addition to the religious exemption, Kloosterman offered neutral solutions to avoiding this situation such as not using pronouns at all and referring to the patients by their chosen name.
This religious exemption request would turn into a tumultuous series of meetings with the hospitals HR and DEI departments.
Thomas Pierce, the DEI Program Director, would become hostile during these meetings towards not only Kloosterman, but her Christian beliefs as well. Kloosterman was verbally berated and her beliefs condemned in the meetings with the hospitals administration according to the lawsuit.
In the letter Kloosterman’s attorneys sent to Michigan Health, it alleges that Mr. Pierce told Ms. Kloosterman she could not bring her Bible or Christian beliefs with her to work.
This aggressive and unconstitutional behavior even resulted in a false accusation of altering patients’ charts, which Kloosterman still denies to this day.
These attacks confirm what many on the right have been saying for years: That DEI initiatives are not about uplifting those who are downtrodden, but control of a narrative and enforcement of an ideology.
Ms. Kloosterman’s case shows that while Christians are in the crosshairs of the enemy, they have avenues to stand up and pushback against the enemy’s assault.
First Liberty has taken up her case, and listed in depth every violation of her constitutional First Amendment rights as a Christian. Working within the law, Christians are able to win battles over the enemy and shed light on the attacks believers endure.
This is why it is so important for Christians to vote for morally upstanding politicians. Because if they do not, bureaucrat who stands against the Lord will try and change laws to fit their demonically inspired, Marxist agenda.
This is the case in California, where Gov. Newsom just signed a bill (SB107) legalizing cross-border child trafficking. The state of California will offer sanctuary to any minor who seeks a transgender surgery or modification to their bodies, even against the parents will.
All in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion. {eoa}
James Lasher is a Copy Editor for Charisma Media.
