Rev. Megan Rohrer, a transgender bishop, filed a legal complaint claiming that the Evangelical Lutheran denomination compelled him to resign from his position following a period of discrimination and harassment.
Trans Discrimination
Rohrer, who now works as a senior communications specialist with a Black nondenominational church in San Francisco, was the bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
While he served as a bishop, Rohrer had fired the pastor of a mostly Latino immigrant congregation on the Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
It caused the congregation to lose financial support and be forced to worship in a parking lot.
Meanwhile, Rohrer faced allegations of discrimination.
Rohrer received frequent hate mail, including death threats, due to the denomination's actions.
In June, he resigned amid accusations of racism.
However, he is unable to work as a bishop or pastor within the denomination as a result of his termination.
In a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California, Rohrer has accused the denomination of discriminating against him as a transgender individual.
He stated that they deliberately misgendered him and created a hostile work environment.
He stated that on his first day as bishop, he was misgendered and ridiculed for featuring drag queens at their ordination.
Rohrer also claimed that he did not receive support from the higher echelons of the national church.
He also alleged that he was publicly shamed as a racist.
According to Rohrer, the lawsuit is not intended to minimize or undermine the struggles of any other marginalized group.
According to a report by the NBC Bay Area, Rohrer remained silent after being removed from office so that the predominantly white denomination could acknowledge its flaws and implement reforms on racial justice.
Denomination’s Retaliation
In his lawsuit, Rohrer also claimed that the denomination retaliated against him for exposing labor law violations.
This was after he reported to synod officials that they were classifying employees as independent contractors to avoid paying them a salary, which goes against federal and California labor laws.
Additionally, in his lawsuit, Rohrer stated that the Church terminated him and falsely accused him of using his identity as a transgender person.
The church stated that Rohrer used his identity to evade accountability when he disclosed the harassment he faced while on the job.
According to AP News, during the 2022 Churchwide Assembly in Ohio, the denomination's presiding bishop, Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, issued an apology to the congregation members of the Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria Peregrina.
The apology was for the distress and anguish they suffered after their pastor was unexpectedly fired by the denomination's first openly transgender bishop.
After resigning in June, Rohrer was immediately subjected to a church disciplinary process.
He claimed that he was forced out of the church for following the instructions of his superiors and was falsely accused of being a racist.
That said, his goal with the lawsuit is to hold the church accountable for treating LGBTQ individuals fairly and with dignity within the church.
Rohrer emphasized that he did not want to create a conflict between marginalized groups and that there was enough room in the church for everyone.
Moreover, he stated that it is necessary to acknowledge the church's history of discrimination and racism.
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