Teona Pagan held the position as a public service and fellowship coordinator. She oversaw various fellowships and placed students with those fellowships and would check-in with students throughout the semester.
Pagan's attorney, Kristina Heuser, says Pagan had a "conversion experience where she committed her life to Christ" and later sought a religious accommodation to avoid placing students with organizations that promoted LGBTQ causes.
"As a Christian she knew that homosexuality is a sin, so she did not want to be responsible for helping students sort of promote this lifestyle or become acquainted with this lifestyle," says Heuser.
CUNY, which did not respond to AFN's request for comment, denied the accommodation. CUNY also told the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that the basis for the termination was that Pagan cited scripture when they had a meeting about her accommodation request.
"So, basically, because her belief, her biblical belief is that homosexuality is a sin, they determined that she could no longer be employed by the university," says Heuser.
Quick reversal of confidence
Just months prior to her termination, Pagan was praised by CUNY staff.
“After my hire, I was told that the committee was particularly drawn to me because of my youthful maturity and willingness to stand boldly for issues plaguing our generation,” Pagan told The Daily Caller. “Ironically, when I decided to stand finally for the Truth, who is Jesus Christ, they chose to terminate my employment.”
The denial of the accommodation request caught Pagan off guard.
Less than 10% of her job was devoted to the LGBT-centered program known as the Mixner Fellowship, The Daily Caller reported. Pagan believed the religious accommodation would be an “easy fix and compromise,” especially since she had easily collaborated with her supervisor on other projects.
The lawsuit also names the research foundation of the City University of New York, the dean of the City University of New York, and two other employees, a human resources officer and Pagan's immediate supervisor.
"It's so important for Christians to stand up for truth and for our right to publicly express our faith," says Heuser. "This is what our forefathers fought and died for. This is why they established this country. Religious liberty is our first freedom."
