Austin pays $78K to settle with fire chaplain axed for post on men in women’s sports
The capital city of Texas has reached a $78,000 settlement with a fire department chaplain reportedly fired for saying that men should not compete in women’s sports.
Former Austin City Fire Chaplain Andrew Fox reached a favorable settlement with city officials, according to a Monday announcement from the Alliance Defending Freedom.
“Everyone should be able to speak freely without fear of punishment just for expressing a view with which the government disagrees,” said ADF Senior Counsel Hal Frampton. “This vindication of Dr. Fox’s constitutionally protected free speech should give hope to all those who wish to share their voice freely.”
The ADF declined to provide specific details of the settlement to The Christian Post, but did confirm that the agreement included a $78,000 payment by city officials.
ADF directed CP to a letter from Austin Fire Chief Joel G. Baker to Fox last month, commending him for his service as a volunteer chaplain from 2013 to 2021.
“Promoting the mental and emotional well-being of AFD members has been very important to me, as I know it was for you,” wrote Baker. “The volunteer chaplain program, which you helped establish, is a vital part of our wellness mission to support the medical, psychological and fitness needs of AFD members.”
“I know you dedicated many hours to establishing AFD’s volunteer chaplain program for the benefit of our members. Your station visits, invocations at ceremonies and funerals, counseling, and guidance meant a great deal to many of the department’s firefighters.”
An ordained minister with the Assemblies of God, Fox served as a volunteer chaplain with the Austin Fire Department for eight years. During that time, he maintained a personal blog.
In June 2021, Fox reportedly garnered backlash at AFD when he posted a blog entry arguing that men should not compete in women's sports teams because of biological differences between the two sexes.
Months later, Fox was dismissed when officials decided that his efforts to apologize to unnamed offended parties were not sufficient, as he refused to recant his views on LGBT issues.
In August 2022, Fox filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, alleging that AFD officials “retaliated against him for exercising his First Amendment rights, violated his First Amendment right to free speech and free exercise of religion, and violated the Texas Constitution.”
