A California-based trucking company is facing a federal lawsuit after allegedly requiring a Christian driver to work on Sundays, ultimately leading to his resignation and prompting claims of religious discrimination.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed suit against Blue Eagle Contracting, Inc., a Grass Valley contractor that delivers bulk mail for the United States Postal Service. In the April 3 complaint, the agency alleges the company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by refusing to move the employee back to a weekday schedule so he could attend Sunday morning church services.
According to the filing, the driver made his religious needs clear when he was hired in September 2022, informing supervisors that Sunday church attendance was essential to his Christian faith. He was initially assigned to a weekday delivery route running between Reno and Tonopah, Nevada.
The situation changed months later when a co-worker left the company, and the driver volunteered to temporarily cover a Sunday morning shift until a replacement could be found. However, once a new employee was hired, the lawsuit claims the company kept the Christian driver on the weekend schedule despite his objections, while assigning the replacement to the weekday route.
Christopher Green, district director for the EEOC’s San Francisco office, emphasized the legal obligation of employers, stating, “Employers are bound by federal law to explore a range of possible accommodations to ensure that employees retain their right to freely exercise their faith.”
Unable to resolve the scheduling conflict, the driver ultimately resigned after the company failed to accommodate his religious practices. The EEOC argues that this conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious practices unless doing so would impose an undue hardship.
Senior EEOC Trial Attorney Mariko Ashley underscored the agency’s position, stating, “Employers are required to comply with federal law to prevent discrimination based on religion.” She added, “To force employees to choose between exercising their religious beliefs and their livelihoods, absent undue burden on the employer, violates the law and the EEOC will hold employers accountable.”
The case comes amid broader federal efforts to address religious liberty concerns in the workplace. Just last month, the U.S. Department of Labor launched a new website through its Center for Faith, offering resources for individuals who believe they have experienced religious discrimination on the job.
The initiative follows an executive order issued by Donald Trump establishing the White House Faith Office and similar Centers for Faith across federal agencies.
