On The Front Lines
Virginia Public Radio's Evening Edition Interviews John Whitehead on City Council Prayers, Religious Discrimination in the Workplace
ROANOKE, Va. -- On Tuesday, August 10, 2004, Fred Echols, host of Virginia Public Radio's Evening Edition, will interview John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, about the constitutionality of prayers at city council meetings, as well as Whitehead's recent letter to President Bush requesting his support of the Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA). Evening Edition is a production of the WVTF News Department.In his recent letter to President Bush, Whitehead asked the President to reach beyond partisan politics and lend his support to WRFA. Sponsored by Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), WRFA has the potential to impact the lives of countless religious employees throughout the United States by compelling employers to accommodate the religious beliefs and practices of employees more fully and more often. Accompanying Whitehead's letter to the President was a special report that included an overview of religious discrimination in the workplace issued by The Rutherford Institute.
The report, "Religious Discrimination in the Workplace: An Epidemic in Need of a Legislative Cure(PDF)," illustrates how protections for religious persons in the workplace have been weakened by various court rulings over the years, provides a 10-year overview of workplace religious discrimination cases handled by Rutherford Institute attorneys and highlights the sharp increase of religious discrimination complaints filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in recent years. Specifically, the report calls for the passage of the proposed Workplace Religious Freedom Act, which has languished in Congress since being introduced in April 2003.
"The ever-changing battle to protect our religious liberties has once again shifted," stated John W. Whitehead, president and founder of The Rutherford Institute. "While it remains vitally important that we continue to protect the rights of religious people everywhere to speak their minds about their faith, the workplace has become the new battleground for religious freedom."
WVTF can be found at 89.3 FM in Charlottesville, Waynesboro and Staunton. Check your local listings or go to VPR's website for information about broadcasts in your area. The Rutherford Institute is an international, nonprofit civil liberties organization committed to defending constitutional and human rights.
The Rutherford Institute is an international, nonprofit civil liberties organization committed to defending constitutional and human rights.
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