ATLANTA — Attorneys for a fired Atlanta fire chief are arguing that their client was let go for his religious beliefs, but lawyers for the city dispute that.
Kelvin Cochran was fired in January 2015 after writing a book that city officials said includes offensive passages about certain groups of people, including gay people and non-Christians.
A judge heard arguments in the case Friday.
Lawyers for the city say Cochran was not fired for the book's content. They say he was suspended during an investigation into whether he improperly imposed his religious beliefs in the workplace and to punish him for failing to get permission before selling his book. They also say he was fired because he violated the terms of his suspension and had damaged his subordinates' trust in him.