Overview
- Eric Batman, a 24-year Department of Public Works engineer, filed a federal complaint on March 10 seeking a court order and damages after his June remote-work request was refused.
- He alleges the county’s 2023 policy requiring the Progress Pride Flag at government buildings forces him to tacitly endorse conduct his Christian beliefs reject.
- The suit claims violations of Title VII, the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, and cites Groff v. DeJoy’s heightened standard for denying accommodations.
- According to the complaint, he worked remotely in June 2023 during construction but was denied similar requests in 2024 and 2025, and was told to use a back entrance or seek mental health counseling.
- The case follows a separate 2024 challenge by county lifeguard Jeffrey Little, and county officials have not provided an immediate comment on the new lawsuit.