By all accounts, Bob Eschliman, 41, is a model journalist. The former editor of the Newton Daily News in Iowa has, over the span of his career, racked up an impressive 70 journalism awards and worked for seven different companies in his profession. A Boone, Iowa native, Eschliman is a family man with two young children and, to boot, a veteran of the U.S. Navy. But after expressing his private views on a new version of the Kings James Bible – the Queen James Bible – in a post on his blog that he alleges was meant for family and friends only, the award-winning journalist was suspended from his post and eventually fired. He now plans to sue the Shaw Media Group, the owners of the Newton Daily News and a string of other local media companies) for what he is calling an infringement of his right to expression of his personally held religious believes. He has filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claiming that he was fired for being a Christian.
According to the Des Moines Register, “The Newton newspaper published an editorial by Shaw Media President John Rung.”Last week, he expressed an opinion in his personal blog that in no way reflects the opinion of the Newton Daily News or Shaw Media,” Rung wrote. “While he is entitled to his opinion, his public airing of it compromised the reputation of this newspaper and his ability to lead it.”
Eschliman wrote in reference to the Queen James Bible, “It’s pretty easy to brush off a nonsensical contrived version of the Bible, but that’s not the deceivers’ end goal,” Eschliman wrote. “No, they want all Christendom to abandon their faith. They do that by ‘proselytizing’ to church leaders to change their view on homosexual…If you ask me, it sounds like the Gaystapo is well on its way. We must fight back against the enemy.”
A number of high-profile organizations have rushed to his defense. The Liberty Institute, a Dallas non-profit legal firm that advocates for religious freedom, has taken up Eschliman’s case. Jeremiah Dys, a senior lawyer with the Liberty Institute, told reporters at a news conference Wednesday that he believes Eschliman has a strong case. He was joined by former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker, who now has a private law practice and will also be representing Eschliman. “No one should be fired for simply expressing his religious beliefs,” Whitaker said. “In America, it is against the law to fire an employee for expressing a religious belief in public. This kind of religious intolerance by an employer has no place in today’s welcoming workforce.
But others, including the editorial board of the Newton Daily News, feel he would not only be unable to cover LGBT newsworthy stories with any degree of journalistic integrity but may represent stories in a way that compromises the LGBT community.
Donna Red Wing, executive director of One Iowa, the state’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy organization, said she takes religious liberties and the rights of journalists very seriously, noting she worked previously in Washington, D.C., as chief of staff of the Interfaith Alliance. But she also said Eschliman’s comments overstepped boundaries, describing his use of the term “Gaystapo”as horrific and suggesting he failed in his responsibility to be fair and objective. “Certainly, his bosses at Shaw Media did what they felt they needed to do. I find his words disconcerting,” Red Wing said. “I am not a lawyer, but if he were working for me, I would fire him.”
Eschliman did remove the post after being suspended.
