PENSACOLA, Fla. — A Christian woman claims she was fired from her job because she greeted callers with “Merry Christmas,” but the vacation rental company says it’s no Scrooge and the woman is just a disgruntled employee. Tonia Thomas, 35, said she refused to say “Happy Holidays” and was fired, even after offering to use the company’s non-holiday greeting. The Panama City woman filed a federal complaint that accuses the company of religious discrimination. She is seeking compensation for lost wages.
“I hold my core Christian values to a high standard and I absolutely refuse to give in on the basis of values. All I wanted was to be able to say ‘Merry Christmas’ or to acknowledge no holidays,” she said Tuesday. “As a Christian, I don’t recognize any other holidays.” Thomas said she is Baptist. Her former employer, Counts-Oakes Resorts Properties Inc., said she wasn’t fired for saying “Merry Christmas,” but would not elaborate.
“We are a Christian company and we celebrate Christmas,” said Andy Phillips, the company’s president. Thomas is “a disgruntled employee,” presenting a one-sided version of what happened when she was fired Dec. 10, Phillips said.
Liberty Counsel, an Orlando-based legal group that advocates for people discriminated against because of their religion, is representing Thomas before the federal Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. Their complaint also accuses the company of harassing and taunting Thomas after she was fired by calling the police to watch her pack her belongs and leave.
What a dumb thing to get fired over. As bobbo is fond of saying…..Silly Hoomans.
Saying Merry Christmas is about as inoffensive as it get. Cripes! Who cares? What’s the big deal? Give me a break!
Bobbo, I Googled “silly hooman” and got 24,700 results. It’s all over the place.
Actually, saying “Merry Christmas” is indeed offensive…as offensive as saying “Have a Nice Day”.
And, yes, I’ve been known to say both from time to time. It’s all a matter of frequency, timing and heartfeltness.
As for Ms. Thomas, the bitch wasn’t doing what they paid her to do, so they fired her ass, and made sure that she didn’t go apeshit and trash the place on the way out. End of story.
My God, Mr Hankey is a turd.
#22 – DaveW
>>As for Ms. Thomas, the bitch wasn’t doing
>>what they paid her to do, so they fired her
>>ass.
Do you suppose that the bitch’s only duty was to pick up the phone and say “Happy Holidays” before Christmas?
And I disagree with your basic premise. Saying “Happy Holidays” is as offensive as saying “Have a nice day”. “Merry Christmas”, somewhat less so. At least “Merry Christmas” has to potential of having some meaning. Like “Happy Kwanzaa”. “Happy Holidays” is just a waste of good air, like “Have a nice day”.
She sounds like a real asshole, but President Andy Phillips sounds like an even bigger asshole. He can rest assured that I won’t be renting any property from Counts-Oakes Resorts Properties Inc. on my next Florida vacation.
#24–Mustard==you say: ““Happy Holidays” is just a waste of good air, like “Have a nice day”.” /// Thats right. Being generally pleasant without being specifically religious is a waste of breath.
So pleasant.
#25 – Bobo
>>Thats right. Being generally pleasant
>>without being specifically religious is a >>waste of breath.
That’s exactly right, Bobo. At least if the person is being specifically religious, there’s an off chance that they actually mean something (although “merriment” is a pretty secular emotion to be wishing someone for Christmas). If they say “have a nice day” or “happy holidays”, you just KNOW they don’t mean shit.
Personally, I wish they’d just STFU and say “hello” or “goodbye” or “thank you”, as appropriate.
24, 25, 26
Gosh Mr. M I know that I genuinely wish people a happy holidays. I don’t know why secular well wishes should be any less authentic than religious ones. I really don’t know why wishing someone a happy Kwanzaa is a waste of breath and merry Christmas isn’t. Really aren’t all these greetings aside from happy holidays a waste of time unless you happen to celebrate the same festival?
People should just wish each other well because they mean it and because it is a nice thing to do, despite their differences. If someone expresses their goodwill towards you sincerely it should be taken happily and returned in kind. Both people who are offended and people who don’t understand why people might be offended need to be a little bit nicer.
I’m agnostic. Nevertheless I honor Jesus’ nominal birthday (it’s believed he was actually born in Spring) simply because he tried to set up a decent, simple code of ethics and got the word out to others.
The rest of the “Christian” religion is built of Paul’s pontifications, which I don’t respect.
#28 – Floyd
>>(it’s believed he was actually born in
>>Spring)
Oh yes? I heard it was in the fall… According to Luke 2:1 – 7, Augustus Caesar had called for a census, and that would most likely have taken place in the post-harvest.
Seriously. Does it make any difference?
#29: Not really, but spring is lambing time.
At any rate, it doesn’t really matter when Jesus was born. Jesus tried to get people to follow the Golden Rule, with some success and some failures. Others (Paul) hijacked the religion later.
I have always thought “Happy Holidays” was inclusive of Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Years Day. Later came Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Kwanza.
If this woman didn’t want others to be wished a Happy Boxing Day or New Years Day or especially if many clients were Jewish, a Happy Hanukkah, then she was not following her employer’s directive. In short, she was not doing what she had been paid to do. She will lose big time and quite possibly end up being sued for defamation.
You refuse to “recognize” the holidays celebrated by the company’s non-Christian clients?
Guess what? You’re fired. And should be fired again.
It’s amusing when government, schools, businesses, unions, etc. feel it necessary to drop participation in Christmas. But drop their December 25th day off? Not bloody likely.
Happy Holy Days.
RBG
Christmas is about Christ. If you feel elsewise, you are a filthy godless moron. She was unjustly fired.
I hope the next NlGGER DlCK that Andy Phillips sucks, infects his evil A$$ with the AIDS!
#34, Yoda Bubba’s ass,
WOW, do you have a problem or what? Besides your “Christ”, there are several other aspects of Christmas that are honored. Generally, they are secular. Almost every American does celebrate them too. You remember, the Christmas tree, mistletoe, Santa Claus, wrapping gifts, decorating the house, eggnog, artificial snow, fruitcake, turkey (or other fowl) dinner, cranberry sauce, and many more.
As for “Christ”, I guess I am godless. I did have a shower today so I’m not filthy and I did get my degree so I’m not a total moron. Tell me though, is that what “Christ” would have wanted you to write? Seriously, you scream a racist comment and wish someone get a mortal disease. Would “Christ” approve?
As too many modern followers of “Christ”, you are not following in his footsteps. You are filled with hate. You wish pain, hurt, and death on others. You are a hypocrite. But that is OK, because there are so many others just like you. And they too all claim to love their “Christ”. And they too will find that heaven’s doors won’t open for them.
As a man created by god, it is my right to express anger toward those who are godless morons and homosexuals which bring upon themselves their own death and misery by doing unholy(and in at least two USA states, illegal and punishable by the death penalty – read about sodomy law) acts which bring about an AIDS infection and the ultimate waste of my tax dollars.
I am not Mother Theresa nor do I exhibit her spiritual love toward the evilest of sinners. And for those of you godless fools who think that christmas should be seperated from it’s actual meaning – I hope you rot in hell. Our country was founded under good christian beliefs and if our founding fathers knew what is becoming of our good country, they would be spinning in their graves. Quit worshipping God, and instead worship NlGGERS and homosexuals. Makes sense, huh?
#36 – Yoda Bubba
Christ, you’re demented!
Not only that, but you don’t know wtf you’re talking about.
Sodomy was never punishable by death; the harshest sentence ever allowed by state law was 5 to life in Idaho. However, the 2003 Lawrence v. Texas decision by the Supreme Court invalidated any of the few state laws still on the books, and now riding the Hershey Highway is completely legal in all 50 states.