Samhain/Fall Newsletter 2006 
UNPAID TIME OFF FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS
By Christopher Blackwell
www.AREN.org

I am interviewing High Priestess Rev. Alicia Freeman of the Panthean Temple in Connecticut. She decided to ask for unpaid time off for her holy days at the company she worked for. This led to her being harassed for two years and then fired. She had worked there seven years

A year earlier, her friend Rapid Freeman [now her husband] had started a petition to create a state bill, "An Act Restoring Religious Freedom in the Workplace." The purpose is to get employee unpaid time off for religious reasons. Rev. Alicia supported it and then had then unwittingly become a poster child for the bill.

Editor: Connecticut is what is called an “at will” state. How much freedom does this give employers to fire employees?

Freeman: At will simply means that the employer, or the employee, may terminate the employment for any reason. It gives employers, more than the employees in my opinion, an easy way to remove employees without much fear of legal reprisal.

Editor: Are there any protections for the employees?

Freeman: They are limited. It is on the employee to prove they were terminated without cause or for a discriminatory reason. Unfortunately this usually means a lawsuit, and you need to have a very good case. Another option is to file with your state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (C.H.R.O.) Since my termination was due to religious discrimination, I was also able to file with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (E.E.O.C.), which is federal.

Editor: I understand that Massachusetts has a law giving employees a right to unpaid time off for religious reasons. Is this similar to what you propose for the state of Connecticut?

Freeman: ‘An Act restoring Religious Freedom in the Workplace’ has been on the books in MA since 1997, which also covers this issue. We are proposing that this MA law be incorporated into CT law.

Editor: This law would protect the religious rights of all employees of all religions?

Freeman: Absolutely. It’s my understanding this law in MA was a result of Christians bringing a lawsuit claiming that they were being forced to work on religious holidays. Although their lawsuit failed, MA felt that there should be laws strengthening religious equality in the workplace.

Editor: Last year when you started trying to get this law, did you find any support among the politicians?

Freeman: It was limited. We found one senator that was interested. This is why we are waiting until election day to submit it again – we need to know who will be in office.

Editor: So what is the process of getting a law by petition? What are the petition requirements in Connecticut? What happens afterward?

Freeman: The process seems to change every year, but it can be submitted January of 2007. This being an election year – we need to see who is willing to publicly endorse it after Nov. 2. We need a state representative to physically submit it.

Editor: How are the signatures coming this year?

Freeman: We have 537 signatures at this moment.

Editor: You opened your shop SubRosa Magick last year. Has this helped you get word out about the petition?

Freeman: Yes, it has. We have been able to speak to many people who have come into the store about the petition. When they meet the person (me) who was fired that they read about in the newspaper, it has an impact.

Editor: How can people contact you about the petition?

Freeman: E-mail is fine. PantheanTemple@aol.com
What I would truly like to see is that other people begin similar petitions in their own state to either create or strengthen existing laws. If anyone would like a copy of the MA law, I would be happy to mail them a photocopy.

Editor: I hope we will hear back from you on what happens next. Thank you for your time.