by Ana Elise Lowe • 5 minutes
Legal battles don’t start in courtrooms. Sometimes, the battles start in break rooms, doctor’s offices, or even 30,000 feet in the air.
Meet Jocelyn, Valerie and Lacey. Three First Liberty clients. Three careers. One common thread: unshakeable courage.
Each faced a choice: compromise their beliefs or risk losing everything. But they weren’t going to deny their faith. So, they chose to fight.
And they are still fighting.
Jocelyn Boden – The Manager Who Stood for Truth
For three and a half years, Jocelyn Boden poured herself into managing a Bath & Body Works store in Utah. She built a strong team, mentored coworkers and earned glowing reviews. She even earned a raise not too long before things fell apart.
When Jocelyn hired a new associate who identified as transgender, Jocelyn was willing to use any preferred nickname, but couldn’t use pronouns that contradicted her religious convictions, which teach that God created humans as male and female, and that sex cannot be changed regardless of someone’s feelings or desires.
Jocelyn and the new employee only worked together for one day. When Jocelyn declined to use male pronouns, HR got involved. Days later, she was fired for saying “she.”
There was no attempt at accommodation. No discussion about working something out. The company simply fired her.
Bath & Body Works promotes an “Everyone Belongs” culture and tells employees to wear it proudly on their aprons. Their Code of Conduct states that “associates feel empowered to bring their authentic selves to work every day.”
Except Jocelyn couldn’t bring her authentic self, founded on her faith, without consequences.
“I was shook,” she said. “They preach tolerance. But their tolerance wasn’t for people like me.”
Jocelyn knew why she must keep fighting. She knew she couldn’t bring herself to tell a lie. It’s about standing up for what Scripture teaches her is true: that God created man and woman.
Valerie Kloosterman – The PA Who Refused to Compromise
Valerie’s story runs deep—three generations deep.
Like Valerie, both her grandmother and mother both worked in the local health care system. For Valerie, being in the medical field wasn’t just a job. It was her legacy.
As a physician assistant, her vibrant faith informs how she does her work through humility, her love for others, and her desire to use the gifts and training that God has given her to help others.
Her hospital introduced a mandatory training that required her to affirm statements about sexual orientation and gender identity that violated her religious convictions. Doing so went completely against her religious beliefs and medical judgment.
She voiced her concerns to management and the DEI department. Instead of understanding, she was called “evil,” and told she couldn’t bring her faith to work.
Her 17-year career? Gone. Michigan Health fired Valerie.
Her patients loved her. Her colleagues respected her deeply. But her religious beliefs? They were unacceptable.
“There were moments I wondered if I should just say what they wanted,” Valerie admitted. “But I couldn’t. I have to stand before God someday.”
She didn’t choose the spotlight. She chose faithfulness to God and sound medical judgment. And now, she’s standing not just for herself, but also for all medical professionals pressured to violate their religious beliefs and medical judgment under the guise of “DEI.”
Lacey Smith – The Flight Attendant Who Asked a Question
For Lacey, flying was a joy. She loved the people, adventures and service. As a Christian, she saw it as servant leadership in motion, caring for strangers with kindness.
She worked for Alaska Airlines, an airline that once celebrated religious values. In fact, after WWII, the company used its planes to fly 49,000 Jewish refugees back to Israel. For years, they even included a prayer card with a Psalm with each meal it handed out to passengers.
But today? That same airline fired Lacey for her beliefs.
It began when Alaska Airlines expressed support for the Equality Act, a bill threatening religious freedom. Lacey didn’t argue. She didn’t protest. She simply posted one respectful question on an employee forum.
“As a company, do you think it’s possible to regulate morality?”
That was it.
Her comment was deleted. She was pulled from flights. Then came a meeting, and soon after, termination.
Lacey explained her question was rooted in care and concern. Yet, the Airline came after her because her question revealed that she holds Christian beliefs about morality.
And she’s still standing to help others like her who are wrongly targeted by their employers.
This Is What Courage Looks Like
So, what do all three women have in common?
They could’ve backed down. They could’ve just said the “right” words. But they didn’t. They counted the cost and chose to persevere.
In today’s culture, courage is often quiet but never weak.
Jocelyn. Valerie. Lacey.
They’re not trying to make a statement. They’re trying to live faithfully and honor God through their work.
Each asked, “Is it worth it?”
The career. The paycheck. The comfort.
They walked into the fire, anyway.
Not out of pride, but out of principle. Not for headlines, but for truth.
And now they are standing not only for themselves, but for millions of religious Americans who are wondering quietly, “Will I be next?”
At First Liberty, we are proud to stand beside them. Because religious freedom doesn’t end at the office door. Our nation’s laws are clear that no one should have to choose between their faith and their job.
 |
|
|
