11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejects former CDC employee's claim of discrimination

A federal appeals court has rejected arguments from a former counselor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who claims her religious rights were violated because she was fired for refusing to counsel a gay woman.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld a judge’s decision to dismiss Marcia Walden’s lawsuit against the CDC.

Walden worked as a contractor for the CDC in 2007 when a woman came to her for advice involving a same-sex relationship. She was let go after she told the woman she couldn’t help because her “personal values” as a devout Christian prevented her from offering any assistance.

Walden said her firing was a result of religious discrimination, but the three-judge panel said it was not persuaded by her arguments.