Judge dismisses 1st Amendment claim over anti-Muslim remarks in workplace
An Iowa judge has ruled against a former employee of American Packaging, who claimed his First Amendment rights protected him from being fired over anti-Muslim comments.
Gregory Benfield, who worked for the company from 2022 until his dismissal last July, made derogatory remarks about Muslims during a workplace conversation.
He argued that all Muslims were “bad people” and should be deported.
His comments, which led to a complaint and internal investigation, were deemed violations of company policies on harassment and discrimination.
Administrative Law Judge Carly Smith found that while Benfield defended his opinions as free speech, the company, as a private entity, was within its rights to enforce workplace behavior standards.
As a result, Benfield’s claim for unemployment benefits was rejected.
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