Austin fire chaplain fired over religious beliefs sues city: I won't recant

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Austin Fire Dept chaplain fired over religious views in blog post

Former Austin Fire Department chaplain Dr. Andrew Fox and his lawyer Ryan Bangert share why Dr. Fox was fired and explain why they are suing the city for violating his First Amendment rights.

For eight years, an Austin Fire Department chaplain answered the calls of distressed firefighters and served those serving the community. However, when Dr. Andrew Fox answered the phone on an unsuspecting evening, he learned this would be his last call. 

Fox joined "America's Newsroom" Thursday after his volunteer service with the Austin Fire Department was terminated due to religious beliefs shared in a personal blog. 

Fox wrote that he believed biological males should not be allowed to compete against biological females. When city officials demanded he recant his statement and apologize, Fox says he apologized to anyone who was offended but could not apologize for his faith.

"When I was fired over the phone, I felt an immediate offense there that my First Amendment rights have been violated of freedom of speech and freedom of religion in something unrelated to my job," Fox told host Dana Perino. 

OPPOSING BIOLOGICAL MALES IN WOMEN'S SPORTS COST ME MY JOB AS AUSTIN'S FIRE CHAPLAIN, NOW I'M SUING

Lawmakers listen as parents speak about the prospect of their children competing against transgender girls in school sports at the Utah State Capitol on March 25, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Samuel Metz, File) (AP Photo/Samuel Metz, File)

Since his firing, Fox has filed a lawsuit against the city of Austin for violating his constitutional rights -- specifically the freedom of speech and freedom of religion. 

"This is a situation where the city of Austin demanded that Dr. Fox recant his beliefs in order to keep his job," Fox's lawyer Ryan Bangert said. "That is not the job of government institutions to tell Americans how to think, especially outside of work."

Former Bremerton High School assistant football coach Joe Kennedy answers questions after his legal case, Kennedy vs. Bremerton School District, was argued before the Supreme Court April 25, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Fox's story is one of hundreds of Americans facing professional pushback for their personal beliefs. In 2015, Washington high school football coach Joe Kennedy was fired for holding post-game prayers. 

Kennedy eventually won his lawsuit after the Supreme Court ruled the school district violated his First Amendment rights.

Fox, who immigrated from England over two decades ago, argued incidents of the government trying to suppress First Amendment rights are increasing at a "rapid rate." 

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"When I look over the last 23 years, I can say the country I chose to come to live in, to raise my family in and to work in, is certainly not the country that we currently live in today," Fox said. 

 "It does seem that government entities are punishing individuals for voicing their First Amendment rights."