A longtime Los Angeles County lifeguard stationed in Pacific Palisades near a stretch beloved by gay beachgoers is suing the county for requiring him to work feet away from a Pride flag last summer and punishing him for taking three of the flags down.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court May 24 a week before this year’s Pride month kicks off, brings the county’s sparkling coastline squarely into the nation’s culture wars.
Jeffrey Little, an evangelical Christian who has worked for the county for more than 22 years, is represented by attorneys from the Thomas More Society, a conservative Catholic legal group known for challenging abortion rights, the 2020 election results, and same-sex marriage.
In a show of support for LBGTQ+ constituents, officials with both the city of Los Angeles and L.A. County have recently pushed to raise the Pride flag at government buildings. Last year, the county board of supervisors voted to require that many government buildings fly the Progress Pride flag throughout Pride month.
That included the lifeguard facilities where Little worked at Will Rogers Beach, which is home to a historically LGBTQ+ friendly section known as Ginger Rogers Beach.
A spokesperson for the L.A. County fire department, which oversees lifeguards, said the agency does not comment on personnel issues or ongoing litigation.
Little, a captain with the county’s lifeguard division, told higher-ups in June that he wanted to be exempt from the county policy ordering the raising of the flag, which is a modified version of the traditional rainbow flag with extra stripes representing people of color and transgender and nonbinary people.
He informed them that he was a devout evangelical who “adheres to traditional Christian beliefs regarding the moral illicitness of same-sex activity, the immutability of sex regardless of gender identity, and the view that all people are children of God regardless of their skin color” according to the lawsuit.
“The views commonly associated with the Progress Pride flag on marriage, sex, and family are in direct conflict with Captain Little’s bona fide and sincerely held religious beliefs on the same subjects,” the suit said.
Last June, some of the county’s lifeguard stations weren’t flying the Pride flag because they didn’t have the right flagpoles, according to the suit. At Little’s request, his bosses initially agreed to give him a religious accommodation and change his shift so he could work at a site that didn’t have a flag, the lawsuit said.
When he arrived at Dockweiler Beach on June 21 — one of the sites he alleged was supposed to be flagless — Little said he found the Pride flag hoisted at three nearby facilities, according to a complaint he filed with the county. He was informed that a chief had dropped off the flags and ordered they be flown, which Little alleged was a form of religious discrimination.
“I was confused [as] to why they were flying as I was under the impression that I would not have to deal with working in these conditions,” he wrote in the complaint filed June 22.
He took down all three flags, according to the suit.
The next day, Fernando Boiteux, the chief of the lifeguard division, hand-delivered him a “direct order” to ensure the Pride flag was flown through June.
The day after, according to the lawsuit, Little was suspended from his role with the department’s background investigation unit, which investigates “emergency incidents” on the beach. Little also said he later received a death threat in the mail at his home calling him a “fascist pig” and threatening his children, according to a copy of the note attached in the lawsuit.
This spring, Little asked again for accommodations so he wouldn’t have to work near the Pride flag, according to the suit. He said the county has not “substantively engaged” with him and warned him he would be subject “to discipline and eventual termination for failure to raise the Progress Pride flag….”
From the L.A. Times
View documents filed in the case.
He is not being discriminated against, and his religious beliefs are not being targeted. When he’s on the job, he has to follow policy. The organizational policy is to fly the pride flags on designated buildings. Part of his job is to raise the flag at the building to which he is assigned. If he doesn’t like it, he can and should quit to find another job where he won’t have to do work that he objects to. Or he can take a vacation during the month of June.
He will lose this lawsuit.
I say the above as someone who hates sodomy, hates transgenderism, and hates the pride flag. But I love logic and truth.
The proper way to address this is for the community to elect different members to the board of supervisors who will change the policy. The lifeguard doesn’t get an exception to policy just because he doesn’t like it.
I suspect the lifeguard doesn’t want to give up his cushy $210,000 lifeguard salary (figure from the story). He’ll choose the money over his principles. In the meantime, he’s trying to win a lawsuit jackpot, as many Americans try these days with frivolous litigation.
Yes, it will be interesting to see what he does if he loses his lawsuit and continues to be required to raise the pride flags. How “devout” is he, really? We’ll find out. I think he’ll decide that raising the flag is something he can live with if it’s a choice between that and getting fired.
I hear you. So, are you okay with American government officials who mandate flying a Nazi flag? A Confederate flag? A KKK flag? A Trump flag? A Communist Chinese flag? An Antifa flag? A Vatican flag? An Islamic State flag? A gang flag?
Why not fly the American and California flags? We’re all in America and California and those flags unite, rather than divide, us.
(And, his salary is actually $147,801.The additional is due to working overtime. Why are you so “suspect,” your word, of his motives?)
You wrote, “If he doesn’t like it, he can and should quit to find another job where he won’t have to do work that he objects to.” So, should all doctors, nurses and other health care providers be forced to participate in abortion?
You are so totally WRONG!! The company policy certainly DOES discriminate against all Christians– and against all decent, good people whom they may hire! The policy is sick and totally immoral! You would never, never, never want your teenage son– or daughter– to get a sumner Lifeguard job– and be forced to fly this filthy– and dangerous!– “Gay Lifestyle” flag! That should be totally illegal! Sick! What if filthy, half-naked gay men in bathing suits start to pester that poor lifeguard? And how old is poor Jeffrey? This is totally sick! Good for you, Jeffrey! Praying for your success with your rightful lawsuit! God bless you!
Devout Christian/Catholic Christian lifeguards, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, policemen, etc. are badly needed in our society. The best to work for Christ, at saving lives, in times of danger. Praying for success for Jeffrey. And no LGBT pedophiles on the beach, either– get rid of their gay flag, ASAP. Make all our California beaches wholesome and safe for families and kids.
Why did the Cal Catholic editors remove (!) punctuation marks (again!) In my comment of June 4, at 12:36pm? What is so wrong with natural and normal human expressions, in one’s individual writing style? Why can’t a person write something like, “Praying for success, for Jeffrey!”
To will lose— Sounds exactly like the unChristian, pagan, gay pedophile Scoutmaster, eager to comply with sordid, corrupt “company regulations,” and will happily fly the immoral “gay rainbow flag” at his sumner Boy Scout camp. Now, what else will they be doing, at camp? Taking “swimming lessons” at the lake, with the gay Scoutmaster– who will gladly “help” the boys change into their swimsuits, eh?
I think it’s interesting that this “devout evangelical” has no problem with other aspects of his job, such as being required to look at nearly naked women in bathing suits all day long.
nearly naked, Are you inadvertently revealing yourself? A lifeguard should be watching those in the water, not the “sunbathers.” Why do you doubt that he’s a devout Christian? Do you think Christians should not be lifeguards?
If you were Jeffrey’s Mom and Dad, you would be worried sick about your son being forced to fly a Gay Flag! Wake up! Become a good and decent Christian– and a fine Catholic!
The Thomas More Society wasting resources on a patently flimsy lawsuit such as this is reason not to donate to them. They must have more money and time than they know what to do with, so why not file a flimsy lawsuit and roll the dice?
Thomas More Society prevailed over LA County,’s thug/bully COVID policy in defending Rev.John McArthur & Grace Community Church. Best money I’ve ever spent in supporting them over the years. I’m sending a new contribution to More Society – earmarked for Jeff Little.
On the other hand, the Green Wall, that section of beach at Will Rogers at issue, has been favored spot of, shall we say, more “creative, sensitive & flamboyant” beachgoers since at least the 1960’s.
The effete sensibilities of these beachgoers were NOT damaged by the absence of pride flags for over half a century. Flags or no flags there will always be these “creative” types at the green wall.
Some people are ignorant, dumb, selfish, hardened, and insensitive, and have no morals. They are “out for themselves,” to enhance their own status, and make money. They will easily comply with requests or orders to do anything they are told to do, selfishly. Some will even embezzle money, or provide “hit man” services, for pay, for criminals!
Such worthless people are like those who eagerly joined with Hitler, in his evil German National Socialist Party in WWII, flew the Nazi flag, willingly joined Hitler’s military forces, and helped Hitler annihilate the Jews, and annihilate noble, Christ-like Catholic priests, nuns, and laymen, as well as Protestant ministers, who all refused to support Hitler and his Satanic evils. Some people today, will evilly comply with evil rules of filthy, gay-infested, immoral leftist organizations, government agencies, schools, libraries, sports teams, Scouting programs, etc. — and will happily fly the gay rainbow flag, officiate gay “marriages,” promote filthy and dangerous sex-ed, pornographic LGBT books, films, sex equipment, condoms, and abortions in schools, organize gay proms in high schools, host Drag Queen Story Hours and related events for children and teens in schools, allow trans kids on girls’ sports teams– including in girls’ locker rooms and restroons at schools, and much more! No morals– and no common decency! And these terrible people may even go to church on Sundays– but in reality, they are not Christians at all! Evil.
Your good Catholic husband, or a good husband of any faith— would NEVER stoop so low, so filthy and so babyish and imnature– to flying a sick, filthy “gay rainbow flag” at his desk or place of work, at a regular job. And he would never in all this world, want his children to see such a horrific, stupid, filthy, senseless, immoral, sordid thing, either. Grow up, commenters! Your fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers would NEVER allow such filth, and evil!
Flags or F*gs?
Why can’t we all just get along?
The lifeguard grapevine is abuzz with the rumor that Capt. Little has been re-assigned to Sunova Beach.
There are two sides of this issue, as the above comments indicate. BUT – ain’t it funny that it’s the conservative Christian at risk of losing his livelihood? Where’s the downside for the Pride People?
This is in keeping with the longstanding policy of the LA County Bored of Stuporvisors: Always in Deference to Sodomites (AIDS).
All you white nationalist christian theocrats here need to realize that we live in a diverse society.
What makes you think we don’t?
Dear diverse, I believe we who name ourselves Christians feel the “diversity” argument is a red-herring, a distraction from a basic injustice: as believers we are forced to endure the in your face advocacy of things we believe to be an abomination, whereas we have no right to pray in Jesus’ name (see the Carlsbad thread). The government advocates for LGBTQ+ rights while actively persecuting Christians who dare oppose its decrees. DEI is itself the new governmental religion by which Christians are persecuted–ironic since “inclusion” does not include those holding to traditional Judeo-Christian ethics. — but extends only to those who adopt the new learning, which learning includes the novel idea that a boy can become a girl and vice versa. In short DEI is a club with which to hammer Christians on the one hand but on the other advance the LGBTQ+ dogma.
One could question the absurd phrase “nationalist christian theocrats” but I leave that for another time.
i have got news for you, not all “nationalist Christian theocrats” are white. Now as my grandmother would have said, “Put THAT in you pipe and smoke.”
Oops! YOUR pipe.
We live in a perverse society.
FIFY
When going to the beach, BYOF.
Bring Your Own Flag!
Great idea. There should not be any flag on or near a lifeguard’s chair, except one identifying it as such, so people know where to go for help. If people bring their own flags, they should be small and kept strictly in their own personal area. A public beach is for everyone, not just a particular group..
All beaches in California are public.
So what is your point? My point is that we cannot stop people from have small flags of any kind on their person or in the small spaces where they congregate, but they should not be showing large flags taking over beaches. If the beaches are public.
Just a little south of Will Rogers; try walking on to the Jonathon Club beach and see how “public” that is.
So far three days and I haven’t seen a pride flag in the wild yet.
Don’t tell them exactly where you are, though, or they will be sure to bring you one.
Lucky you! Now we know why St. Anthony went off to be in the desert.
This was meant for the “In the wild poster”.
I’ve seen more pride flags on LifeSite News’ website than I have in real life. I think the prevalence of those flags is being exaggerated by homophobes.
Au contraire, I think the prevalence of homophobia is being exaggerated by flag wavers.