Salvation Army: Save the B.S. for Court

salvation armyNewsday.com reports that a gay Jewish man may go ahead with his harrassment lawsuit against the Salvation Army in Manhattan. Zachary Logan, who counseled 9/11 survivors, has filed claims that manager Michelle Pallak made inappropriate references to his religion and sexuality and then fired him when he complained.

The Christian-based Salvation Army’s lawyers thought they might get Logain’s case thrown out because theirs is a religious organization, and is therefore “exempt from religious bias claims.”

Wha’? The Salvation Army believes that because they get a tax break from the government for being a charity their employees can spout bigoted, hateful nastiness anytime, anywhere?

Man, that’s bunk. Thankfully, the judge agreed.

Full story.

18 thoughts on “Salvation Army: Save the B.S. for Court

  1. Jewish Family and Children’s Services, as well as a whole host of Jewish organizations, provide financial and emotional support and relief to people of all religions in cities all over the U.S. and Canada: http://www.ajfca.org/

    Perhaps in order to have the same kind of S.A. “brand” recognition JCFS needs several thousand volunteers with blue buckets and bells to stand out in front of grocery stores and ask people for change?

  2. Well….the closest Jewish alternative to the S.A. is NOT Jewish Family Servies, but Chabad, which has more outreach activity regardless of the circumstances.

    But don’t be so quick to condemn the S.A. because of the alleged stupid actions of one person. Its equally possible the plaintiff is at fault and a shake down artist. The facts will come out…

  3. Sam, I disagree that Chabad, an outwardly religious organization, is the Jewish equivalent. Both S.A. and JCFS are outreach-based, secular institutions with relgious origins.

    Anyhow, I’m not condemning the Salvation Army for the actions of one person; their official legal representation came up with that lame defense. And I’m not dissing their good works, either — some of my best dishes come from the Army.

  4. Yeah right, Jessica, “Both S.A. and JCFS are outreach-based, secular institutions with relgious origins.”

    But that’s not what the Salvation Army states in their mission statement, as found on their web site…

    “The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”

  5. Sam: “Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”
    I believe you have proved my point.

    Zack: Good luck with the lawsuit, bro — it takes cojones to stand up for yourself.

  6. If the salvation army is a christian organization and the bible discribes homosexuality as an abomination, I see no reason that they must employ a gay jew. It is plain and simple to anyone with any sence.

  7. If the salvation army is a Christian organization and the bible deems homosexuality an abomination, there is no reason they have to keep a gay Jew as an employee.

  8. Simon and Ira (or Simon/Ira, as I’m thinking you’re the same person,) just in case you forgot what country this is, it against the law for any organization to discriminate against someone for his/her gender, race or religion (sexual orientation is still being debated.)
    As a national organization, the Salvation Army serves a non-denominational population (i.e. the poor) and is not — and should not be — immune from practicing the same work ethics as everyone else.

  9. Congrats on your deductive reasoning skills. Det. Poirot has nothing on you.
    Sadly, you have missed the point altogether. The law is an ass, use some commonsense. If an employee does not conduct himself in a manner that agrees with an organization’s ideology, he should be canned. If a Rabbi finds out the synagogue’s janitor is a neo-nazi, should he be fired?.

  10. Well then the Neo-Nazi Janitor should be fired but in the case of Neo-Nazi’s they already know NOT to support Jewish organizations. In the case of the Salvation Army, many Jews donate and support the cause NOT KNOWING that they might be a tad bit anti-semitic. They have a right to fire a gay Jew just as much as I have a right NOT to support their organization, just like Yenta has a right to let the rest of us know of this case.

    Good post!

  11. This discussion threads on the issue of worker’s rights VS a religious organization’s rights. We need a civil rights lawyer to chime in.

  12. I agree with Yenta. It would be excellent if Chabad was to open Thrift Shops. But, the prices would probably be double because of the hecksher.

  13. I had to go to one in Fort Smith AR for about a month. They serve only pork and say, “When you’re hungry- you’ll eat it” And make you go to mandatory sermons where I copied 9 pages of anti-semetic notes that I sent to a New York Rabbi. They talk about how weak the Jews were that a king from another country had to come build their temple. (Hezekiah, they meant) And how stupid and weak the Jews were that they sent a 14 year old boy out to fight their battles. And how Israel deserves everything they get for killing their stupid Ben Pandira. On and On and On. They had hired a black man in the Ladies sleeping area who put both of his hands on my body and turned me and CHEWED ME OUT FOR LEAVING MORE THAN THREE THINGS ON MY BED. One thing was my prayer book. He threatened to throw it in the GARBAGE “WHERE IT BELONGS” if I did it again. I used to drop a fifty in their kettles every year. Never again. Over 9 pages of notes I sent to the Rabbi. They need to be destroyed.

  14. I know! I just got fired and have to live at one here in Jefferson City Mo. I went to the little reform synagogue on Friday night and a young girl brought her new golden retriever puppy in for the service. It was so cute. I was telling someone I share “chores” with and he said,”DID YOU SACRIFICE THE PUPPY?”
    I, trying to be funny said, “No, we only sacrifice virgins.”
    Now the staff and everyone is spreading hate-speech about Jews in here. Hissing at me, saying we killed their god, saying that the Jews in Jefferson City killed a puppy and ate it and drank its’ blood for religious ritual.
    They do not deserve non-profit status, because they take ALL that money that is donated and use it to pay their soldiers and majors and OTHER religious fake military hierarchy. Then they feed us ROTTING DUMPSTER FOOD or let churches come in and INDOCTRINATE US. And if we eat, we HAVE TO listen to their religious opinions on everything and how we should think about everything. And their clothing is donated too!
    They are a religious cult and are emotionally and mentally abusive and cruel to the poor people who stay their.
    I said I had a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO BE THE RELIGION THAT I AM.
    The SALVATION ARMY STAFF SAID THAT I DID NOT and that if I did not listen to these people that is disrespectful and grounds for getting thrown out. And that if I questioned their Salvation Army staffs’ MOTIVES, AUTHORITY OR ACTIONS that I would be thrown out.
    They need to be put out of business.
    I will make it a point to spit in their kettles every year.
    They ARE evil idolators.

  15. Yes, that sounds like a dangerous cult to me. Why doesn’t the military go after them like they did David Koresh? Isn’t it against the law in the United States to be a cult? Isn’t that why Jim Jones had to go to South America to make a cult? It was illegal in the states?

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