Teona Pagan, a former coordinator at the City University of New York (CUNY), is suing the university, claiming she was wrongfully terminated after converting to Christianity. Pagan alleges that her request for a religious accommodation was denied, leading to her dismissal from the university’s Research Foundation.
Pagan, who oversaw multiple fellowship programs, including the LGBT-focused Mixner Fellowship, converted to Christianity in April 2022. Following her conversion, she found that her duties related to the LGBT fellowship conflicted with her beliefs and asked to be reassigned to other responsibilities. Her request was denied, with the university citing that granting the accommodation would place an “undue burden” on the office.
In the lawsuit, Pagan claims she was questioned about her religious beliefs by her supervisor and the human resources director. Her contract was not renewed shortly after her accommodation request was denied.
After filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which declined to investigate further, Pagan moved forward with her lawsuit, alleging religious discrimination.
Pagan now works for a Christian apparel company and has expressed her gratitude for the experience, saying it has strengthened her faith and conviction. She hopes her legal action will shed light on the importance of religious freedom in the workplace.
