Black Pastor Sues Former Church Over Claim He Was Replaced Because of His Race
- Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:16am by
Billy Hallowell
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Photo Credit: St. Stephen Baptist Church web site
Pastor Billy Hollins, an African American and a former faith leader at St. Stephen Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky (the house of worship also has a satellite location in Jeffersonville, Indiana), has filed a discrimination complaint alleging that the church reassigned him in 2007 because of his race.
Hollins, who worked for the church from 2001 until 2011, claims that he was transfered from the Jeffersonville location to Louisville and given a new job title (executive assistant pastor) based on a racial premise. This event occurred four years ago when he says Senior Reverend Kevin Cosby told him that the church needed to better reflect its growing Caucasian population. But the drama doesn’t end there, as Hollins stayed on staff even after he made the requested transition.
In addition to the alleged racially-motivated move, Hollins claims that his worker’s compensation payments were not made in full following a work-related accident he had in 2010. He insists that he was able to perform his position with the proper medication and that the subsequent firing that occurred (yes, he was inevitably fired) was based on retaliation for seeking the compensation in the first place.
The Associated Baptist Press has more:
Neither side is commenting to media on the facts of the dispute, but the church’s attorney, Gordon Rowe, told Louisville Public Media radio station WFPL that he expects both sides to begin the discovery phase, including any depositions, in the next 30 days.
Cosby, a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has led St. Stephen Church since 1979. During his tenure church membership has grown from 500 to 10,000. The predominantly black church is affiliated with both the Kentucky Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention.
The discovery phase of the case is expected to begin in the next 30 days. You can read the complaint here.
(H/T: WFPL)
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mbj30
Posted on January 9, 2012 at 4:38pmAt first I though it was strange that he would stay after the transfer. But then I gave it some thought. There are many times in life when we are unjustly and unfairly treated and for one reason or another we tolerated that treatment for reason known only to ourselves. I have been in a similar situation but when the opportunity avail itself I spoke out. I am pretty damn conservative and very careful to call an accident an act of discrimination. So I will say this if the Senior Pastor, did tell him he was being transfer because of they wanted to attract more whites to that campus, we clearly have an issue of discrimination!
Report Post »RodentKing
Posted on January 8, 2012 at 8:34amThese Negroes just rob rob and rob any chance they get.
Report Post »Just amazing.
flattop
Posted on January 8, 2012 at 3:56amThere’s money to be made everywhere on the racism train.
=============================================
I always thought it was ingenious how Louisville, KY managed to put its slum in Indiana.
Report Post »db321
Posted on January 8, 2012 at 4:42amDid he preach from the Bible or his from his own Liberal Socialist views.
Report Post »alrunner58
Posted on January 7, 2012 at 6:03pmThat’s pretty pathetic that you have nothing else going for you but race.
Report Post »TheGreyPiper
Posted on January 7, 2012 at 2:51pmAnd his boss was named Cosby?
Report Post »Secret Squirrel
Posted on January 7, 2012 at 12:27pm.
Report Post »Play the race card?
Why not, it works for everyone else.
Including Obama.
Jr1111
Posted on January 8, 2012 at 12:53pmthe “race card” card also works well. just accuse everyone, everywhere of playing the race card.
Report Post »Collbuzz
Posted on January 7, 2012 at 12:20pmAmen WINDSONG!!!!!
Report Post »georgeisn6
Posted on January 7, 2012 at 12:11pmJust one more notch in the gun handle of the american african whinners league.
Report Post »NOBAMA201258
Posted on January 8, 2012 at 9:04amWhy are aspirin white? You want them to work,don’t you?
Report Post »Ohello
Posted on January 7, 2012 at 12:08pmAt the end of the day it is always ABOUT THE MONEY !!!!
Report Post »OneTermPresident
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:51pmWhen all else fails… pull the race card.
Report Post »Windsong
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:09pmBoy, we can’t have that, Pastor! A predominantly ‘black’ church should definitely have a ‘black pastor. Let’s just leave God out of it, shall we?
Report Post »Oh, and for all the ‘black’ pastors who are leading ‘predominately’ white congregations, you need to leave because, according to this pastor, God wants ‘black’ and ‘white’ Christians to attend separate Churches.
Personally, my priest happens to be of a different race than I am, but I wouldn’t trade him for the world. So, Christians, I guess you have -yet another- decision to make.
As for Pastor Hollins, he’s more than welcome to attend our services, but never, ever should be allowed to bring his divisive rhetoric to the pulpit. We’ve had enough of that from the current administration.
I will pray for Pastor Hollins and hope he can begin to realize that anger, bias and political rhetoric are all excellent reasons to replace someone who claims to be a religious leader. We come to you to connect with God, and to feel uplifted. That’s it, Pastor. I would imagine no one in your Church gives a rat’s patoot what your political beliefs are. Pray for guidance on that, Sir.
Jim in Houston
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:28pmIn our old parish we had so many different races and nationalities among the priests we called it “The International House of Priests”. The only complaints I ever heard was about difficulty understanding all the various accents.
Report Post »deeberj
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 12:17pmI get that he was transferred and he says it was because of race. It’s a church. They are allowed to move people around for whatever reason they want. I don‘t want the gov’t involved in churches and how they hire and fire.
And regarding him getting hurt at his new location (yes, it could happen. A light from the ceiling could have fallen on his head, for one.) but they would not pay “in full” his workmans’ comp. What does that mean? They paid some but not all? Maybe they stopped paying because he COULD work with meds. Duh. And maybe he got fired for some other totally different reason.
Report Post »jacques.daspy
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:13pmHe musta missed out the “diversity initiative” at the VA? The VA wasn’t the only Federal Agency that was tasked with the first priority.
Report Post »TEARS FOR AMERICA
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 12:13pmLittle too late in my opinion…race discrimination and he was there 10 years? The Reverend has some issues…
Report Post »jacques.daspy
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:21pmIt’s a follow the leader thing, when the President of the US can play the race card, when the Attorney General of the US can play the race card, when Jesse Jackson can play the Race cars ad infinitum.
Report Post »fuzzy20841
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 11:51amI’m so tired and fed up with this crap! Unfortunately this will result in a $100,000 PLUS settlement ultimately funded by the hard working taxpayers. If there were a serious “take back our country ” march I would be there. I see that POTUS has asked for another raise for the overpaid and bloated Federal workforce at a time when our economy is in the pits. Another disgusting and financially dangerous try at cultivating the vote. I guess it can be paid for by the Orwellian cuts to our national defense budget. This is another case of transfer of money from those who do and those who don’t.
Report Post »1TrueOne55
Posted on January 7, 2012 at 8:22pmWhat are you talking about Fuzzy, this is a Church matter that the members of the Church and their Insurance Co. will be saddled with if this so called Pastor prevails. And yes I said so called since just because you have a “License” that says your a “Pastor” it is your heart and determination that qualifies you as one. No amount of schooling can teach you that it is a gift of God that comes from knowing him in a truly personal way.
Report Post »Hickory
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 11:31amMakes you wonder why they chose him as a pastor in the first place.
Report Post »sjohn70037
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:51amI am sooooo sick of this tired excuse. When a ***** has no points of fact to argue they always fall back on “you‘re only doing this because I’m black.” So, OK, I‘m only doing it because you’re black. No go away.
Report Post »jacques.daspy
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:33pmOnce upon a time, long ago, a team of NAACP kids offered to do a free diversity survey on my staff. We carefully determined who was what color as people were hired by job description and not race. It seems that I had exceeded my allocation and had two extra black employees. Two pink slips (which said “go to the back door” were immediately issued, much to the chagrin of the NAACP team.
Report Post »speedyjerry
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:29amI grew up in South Florida, been a carpenter since 1970 and rapidly approaching sixty years old, I realize there are racist areas throughout the country. My personal experience is for the past couple decades the “Race” word hasn’t exhisted around here unless you was discussing something that involved a start and finish line until Obama came along.
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:00amCan I ask. . How the hell can a “ pastor ” get a work related injury ?????????????????????? I mean it doesn’t even make sense..
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on January 7, 2012 at 10:05am@demint.disciple—Ever tripped and fell on something while at work?. …Get out of the box.
Report Post »speedyjerry
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:06amHow does a minister have a work-related accident ?
Report Post »Was he struck by a bolt of lightning or what?
blondenblueeyed
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:17pmHe got his hand caught on the collection plate!
Report Post »1TrueOne55
Posted on January 7, 2012 at 8:25pmThey do more than preach on Sunday. He may have been responsible for mowing the grass or fixing the plumbing in the men’s room etc. I have known pastors in small churches and they also sometimes have to be the janitor and gardener because of finances or just the desire to do more than preach.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:32amHe “worked for the church from 2001 until 2011”. It took them 10 years to figure out he was black? Come on.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:48am.
Must have been his Public Edumacation………
Gonzo UGA going down in overtime was totaly unacceptable……..
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:55am2 missed field goals? Unbelievable :-(
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:23am.
Report Post »Purple & Gold look good on you………….
Gonzo
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:32amI may have to stick with them…red and black is getting embarrassing.
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:14amSurely it wasn’t his work preformance? If you are anything other than white, job preformance is irrelevant. We just have to keep our percentages up.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:54amMaybe he should have Teebowed more.
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:25amNo one should hire any one whose black every unless they themselves are black. Or at the court system needs to be changed where the accuser is responsible for the defendants lawyer and court cost if found innocent. Because as it stands now to fire anyone whose black coulkd be a law suit waiting to happen.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:28amReally didnt think that comment out did you Mr. racist…did you?
Report Post »Rational Man
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:13am@Baddoggy
You really got your troll on this morning, don’t you? To bad you forgot to put your brain in when you got up.
The guy is making a statement about frivolous lawsuits and playing the race card.
Nothing racist in that…………………
But don’t let that keep you from making an a@@ of yourself…………………..
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:07am@Rational Man. Agreed in your comment to Baddoggy,, This is the very thing smithclar3nc3 is talking about .. The very mention of the word “ black ” draws the race card 99% of the time..
Report Post »Proof is in the pudding and Baddoggy just proved that in HIS comment..
Amazing world we live in “ TODAY ”..
smithclar3nc3
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:07amBD,
Report Post »It’s entirely to easy and free from consequences for anyone to sue anyone for anything. That’s the issue this is one of the thing the European courts have got right. If you file lawsuit and lose al the cost are placed on you or the ambulance chasing leech lawyer that talked you into suing. As far as blacks go when hiring one you all ready set yourself into a vunerable position because their are no laws like in Europe to protect the accused. I could say the same thing about gays,women, and muslims, as all of these groups have cost employers thier companies over frivilous lawsuits. Even white workers and customers have done it too. There needs to be protect for business. Because as it stands now I could sue my employer without a real case use a civil suing leech lawyer and my employer could be saddled with millions of dollars in lawyer fees,lose of business,and court cost with no recourse even if he wins the case. Not to mention the cost to the tax payers that filling our civil courts with BS LAW SUIT accures.
Put on your big boy thinking cap and take off your everything is racist glasses.
Rational Man
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:25amSounds like a lousy church and a lousy pastor to me.
Report Post »So much for “turn the other cheek” and “he who does not love his brother does not love God”.
Baddoggy
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:29amOoops! You don’t love Ron Paul Rational!!
Report Post »Rational Man
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:59amGuess I‘m a bad Christian cause I don’t like you either!
Report Post »dirtydog1776
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:20amTakes four years to decide that you are a victim of racism? Pastor Billy Hollins, you need to play the race card faster than that.
Report Post »