Ark. Man Claims He Was Fired For Not Attending Church

A Benton County, Ark., man has sued his former employer, claiming that he was fired for not attending a specific church as ordered by his boss.

Clifford D. Randel filed the lawsuit in Benton County Circuit Court against Allied Plumbing and Drain Service in Siloam Springs.

According to the lawsuit, Randel was hired by Allied in late 2004 as a plumbing apprentice. The lawsuit says Randel went home sick on a day he was supposed to take a drug test, and that the following day, company owner Dan Mallory accused Randel of being a drug addict.

According to Randel’s lawsuit, Randel volunteered to take a drug test, but Mallory instead required the apprentice to attend either an Assembly of God, Baptist or Seventh-Day Adventist church. Randel claims he offered to attend a Catholic church, but that Mallory refused and suspended Randel.

Randel was fired March 15.

But Mallory disputed Randel’s claim that he was fired for not attending a specific church.

“He was terminated because he refused to take a drug test,” Mallory said.

According to drug tests paid for by Randel and submitted with the complaint, Randel tested negative for drugs on March 15 and March 24.

Randel is seeking $60,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.