A former sheriff’s deputy in North Carolina is suing for $300,000 in damages, alleging he was terminated for attempting to adhere to the “Billy Graham Rule.” Manuel Torres, 51, claims he was fired from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office because he refused to be alone with a female trainee, citing his Evangelical Christian principles.
According to the Charlotte Observer, the federal lawsuit states, “Torres holds the strong and sincere religious belief that the Holy Bible prohibits him, as a married man, from being alone for extended periods with a female who is not his wife.” The training would have required Torres to be alone with the woman for “significant periods of time” in a patrol car. Torres requested in July 2017 to be exempted from the training assignment. Nevertheless, his request was denied. Two months later, a superior officer allegedly “expressed his anger” about Torres’ repeated requests to be excused from the assignment.
Torres claims he was fired soon after, with no explanation from the sheriff’s office. He further alleges that other law enforcement agencies declined to hire him after learning about his Lee County dispute. The former deputy, a Southern Baptist who has served as a deacon at his local church, is believed to be the first plaintiff to invoke the Billy Graham Rule in making a discrimination claim, BuzzFeed News reported.
Torres has named as defendants Lee County Sheriff Tracy Lynn Carter and the towns of Siler City and Apex, where he had sought new employment.
Rev. Billy Graham, the famed evangelist who died at age 99 in February 2018, advocated for avoiding being alone with a woman who was not his wife. This practice originated in 1948 when Graham was traveling and spreading the gospel. Graham and his male colleagues pledged to avoid situations that would “have even the appearance of compromise or suspicion.” It’s a discipline that Vice President Mike Pence reportedly tries to follow. Furthermore, it is practiced in many churches, including Saddleback Church in Southern California, pastored by Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, according to Jim McNeff, managing editor of Law Officer.
The “Billy Graham Rule” is also known as the “Pence Rule” due to the Vice President’s public adherence to the practice. The rule is intended to avoid even the appearance of impropriety and maintain professional boundaries. The lawsuit raises questions about religious freedom and workplace discrimination, and how employers should accommodate religious beliefs in the workplace.