Jocelyn Boden

Jocelyn Boden, a long-established member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a store manager at Bath & Body Works in Utah for three and a half years. She often discussed her faith in the workplace. In April 2025, she hired a new employee who identified as transgender.

Jocelyn’s religious convictions influence how she thinks about human nature, gender, sexuality, and social issues. She believes that God created human beings as either male or female, and that sex cannot be changed, regardless of an individual’s feelings or desires. On one occasion when her district manager visited her store, Jocelyn discussed her religious objections to gender ideology. Jocelyn could not, in good conscience, call somebody a pronoun that did not align with their sex.

Jocelyn and the transgender employee worked together only one day before a complaint was filed with human resources against her. Because Jocelyn refused to use the preferred, male pronouns when speaking about this employee, she was accused of gender identity discrimination and “misgendering.” This led to Bath & Body Works terminating Jocelyn in May 2025.

By firing Jocelyn immediately upon learning of her refusal to use what it deems “correct” pronouns, Bath & Body Works failed to accommodate Jocelyn’s religious beliefs.  Prior to her termination, Jocelyn had an exemplary job review and a recent pay raise. Bath & Body Works recently rebranded its “DEI Department” to the “Inclusion Resource Community,” but it carries on the same goals. With such a name, it’s ironic that no attempt was ever made to accommodate Jocelyn’s religious beliefs.

In June 2025, First Liberty Institute filed a complaint on behalf of Jocelyn at the EEOC. We are awaiting their review of the case.

“No one should be forced to choose between their job and their faith,” said Stephanie Taub, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute. “Bath & Body Works could have easily worked with Jocelyn and offered an accommodation, but instead they choose to violate state and federal law and fire her.  Forcing employees to violate matters of conscience and religious convictions violates the federal Civil Rights Act.”