A Christian actor is suing a Broadway production company for allegedly firing him due to his religious beliefs.
Chad Kimball, who was a member of the Broadway musical “Come From Away” since its debut in 2016, filed a lawsuit in late October against Kiss The Cod Broadway and its management company, Alchemy Production Group.
A copy of the lawsuit, which was obtained by The Christian Post, alleges that Kiss the Cod Broadway and Alchemy Production Group “unlawfully terminated Kimball wholly or partly because Kimball’s religious beliefs made them uncomfortable.”
“The Broadway musical ‘Come From Away’ is a story about a small town welcoming people from around the world on 9/11, regardless of creed, race or religion. However, as the complaint I have filed alleges, some associated with the show have lost sight of that message and have not shown me the same kindness,” Kimball claimed in an October 25 Instagram post.
“I hope those at the show who are not a party to this discrimination will understand that I cannot stand by and allow the violation of my protected civil rights go unchallenged: By God’s grace, Every one of us has worth,” he concluded.
The producers of “Come From Away” responded to Kimball’s allegations, calling them “completely unfounded,” The Christian Post reports.
“Chad’s allegations are completely unfounded. This very show is built on the power of diversity, and we celebrate every voice. We cannot comment further given HR privacy rules, and we wish Chad all the best in his future endeavors,” the producers said.
Kimball’s lawsuit claims that he was fired after he voiced his disappointment over a COVID-19 mandate in his home state of Washington that limited religious services and prohibited church members from singing in worship last November.
“Respectfully, I will never allow a Governor, or anyone, to stop me from SINGING, let alone sing in worship to my God,” Kimball tweeted in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s mandate. “Folks, absolute POWER corrupts ABSOLUTELY. This is not about safety. It’s about POWER. I will respectfully disobey these unlawful orders.”
Respectfully, I will never allow a Governor, or anyone, to stop me from SINGING, let alone sing in worship to my God. Folks, absolute POWER corrupts ABSOLUTELY. This is not about safety. It’s about POWER. I will respectfully disobey these unlawful orders. #inslee #Tyranny #truth pic.twitter.com/84UDiozOd1
— Chad Kimball (@chadkimball1) November 15, 2020
The suit also alleges that Kimball, who was nominated for a Tony in 2010 for his role in the Broadway show Memphis,was terminated because staff and crew started questioning his “conservative” Christian beliefs, particularly after the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol took place.
In a phone call on January 18, producer Susan Frost reportedly voiced concern that the insurrection was linked to the conservative Christian movement. Frost allegedly sought reconciliation with Kimball, but on January 22, he was let go from the show.
“Jesus never commanded us to not defend ourselves,” Kimball told the New York Post.
“As Christians, we are commanded to seek out justice, truth and restoration,” he contended. “The law gives us opportunities to do all of those things.”
Related:
Broadway Actor Comes Under Fire for Speaking Out against COVID Restrictions on Churches
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Slaven Vlasic/Stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
