Midwest
Wisconsin ski park faces lawsuit after allegedly firing employee for sharing Bible verses on social media
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Wisconsin snow park is facing a federal lawsuit that accuses it of firing a Christian employee for posting Bible verses on his personal social media account.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a complaint against Crystal Ridge Ski Area, LLC, formerly known as The Rock Snowpark, a winter sports park and summer events venue in Franklin, Wisconsin, on Wednesday. Their complaint alleges the park discriminated against a former employee who worked there from January 2, 2022 to June 12, 2023.
During his time of employment, the Rock Snowpark employee “frequently posted religious messages” including Bible verses, on his personal social media account, the suit states. On June 9, 2023, Rock Snowpark’s Operations Manager met with the individual and expressed concern that his posts “were discriminatory to gay people,” and asked him to refrain from posting these statements. When the employee asked if he could still post Bible verses, the manager gave approval, the suit says.
Three days later, the employee posted another Bible verse on his personal social media and was terminated the same day.
A federal lawsuit filed by the EEOC claims a Christian employee was told to refrain from posting Scripture on social media that was discriminatory toward gay people. (iStock)
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TAKES ON SMALL IDAHO TOWN IN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BATTLE OVER CHURCH PERMIT
The EEOC complaint states the employee did not identify his workplace or claim to be representing the views of his employer on his social media account. His posts were not directed at any employee of Rock Snowpark and the park did not receive any complaints about the posts, the complaint claims.
The employee had worked for the company for a year and a half before his termination, during which time he received bonuses and was promoted for his excellent performance, according to the lawsuit.
The EEOC filed the suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement, the complaint explains. The park is accused of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on religion.
The commission is asking the court to issue a permanent injunction restricting Crystal Ridge from engaging in “any employment practices which discriminate on the basis of religion in violation of Title VII.” The commission asks the court to order the park to implement new policies to ensure equal employment opportunities “regardless of religion.” The complaint also asks for the employee to receive backpay and compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged harms caused.
The EEOC lawsuit asks for the Wisconsin snow park to provide compensation and damages to an employee who was fired over alleged religious discrimination. (Getty Images/IStock)
WISCONSIN MAN FIRED FOR REFUSING TO USE PREFERRED PRONOUNS APPEALS TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
The commission is requesting a jury trial in the case.
“All employees have the right to earn a living free from discrimination based on their religious beliefs,” EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas said in a press release. “While employers must remain alert to potential harassment in the workplace, religious statements made outside of work that do not reference or impact anyone in the workplace do not constitute unlawful harassment.”
Crystal Ridge Ski Area told Fox News Digital it had not yet been served the legal complaint but rejected the allegations.
“First, we want to make clear that we, as an employer and member of the community, treat all of our employees and customers equally and with respect, regardless of who they are and what they believe,” the park said. “We also expect all of our employees to similarly respect each other and the customers that we are here to serve.”
“Second, we want to make clear that the internal employment decision that apparently led to the EEOC’s lawsuit was not made on the basis of the employee’s religious beliefs. Rather, it was a business decision based on performance issues and policy violations,” they added, saying they had no further comment on the matter.
Read the full article from Here
Cleveland, OH
Extreme heat warning ends Friday evening: What to expect
This forecast is outdated and inaccurate. Get the latest forecast here.
CLEVELAND (WJW) — (WJW) — The National Weather Service has extended its EXTREME HEAT WARNING for all of Northeast Ohio.
It will remain in effect until 8 p.m. on Friday, July 3, in Ashland, Ashtabula, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Holmes, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning Medina, Ottawa, Portage, Richland, Sandusky, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne counties; and until 10 p.m. Friday, July 3, in Carroll, Coshocton and Tuscarawas counties.
The heat waves continues! An EXTREME HEAT WARNING will remain in effect through 8 p.m. Friday. Heat indices could top 105 degrees during the hottest time of day on Friday.
Once again, there will not be much relief from the heat and humidity overnight. Tonight lows will be in the mid to upper 70s again. Feeling warmer with the higher humidity. Mostly clear skies.
Friday will be the last sweltering summer day before the heat starts to back off for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. There is the chance of rain and storms Friday evening, around 7pm that could go through the late evening. This may impact some 4th of July celebrations on Friday. Any storm that pops up we’ll have to watch for the potential of gusty winds, heavy downpours and large hail.
This is what the radar could look like by the time some Fireworks celebrations are expected Friday evening. We have a level 2 out of 5 chance of any storm turning severe, meaning that 1 or 2 have the chance.
The upper-level ridge, or heat dome, will start to breakdown on Friday. This means two things. The first is it will go from being very hot and humid to being very warm and humid. The second thing is the chance of rain and threat of storms will return.
The Fourth of July holiday weekend will be far from a washout! There will be more dry time than time with downpours and storms. However, clusters of downpours and storms will move through Northeast Ohio at times. This means some Fourth of July events, backyard BBQs, pool parties, and firework shows could be impacted by rain and storms.
With all the heat and humidity around, any downpours or storms that develop could be strong and produce gusty winds, small hail, torrential rain, and lightning. Here’s the latest 8 Day Forecast:
Keep up with FOX 8 News for the latest weather updates.
Illinois
Fireworks Near Me: July 4th Events Around Chicago Heights For 2026
Celebrations around the country recall not only the events leading up to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, but also look forward and aim to make the 4th of July weekend a massive, multigenerational cultural moment focused on community connections and charitable giving.
America’s Block Party, an unprecedented coast-to-coast initiative, is one of the signature events of America 250, the congressionally chartered nonprofit overseeing the semiquincentennial celebration.
A Times Square Ball Drop, a rolling series of ball drops, timed to occur at midnight on July 3 in every U.S. time zone from Guam to American Samoa, is part of the “Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show,” creating a nearly 24-hour celebration of the 250th anniversary. It’s part of the broader “Giving 4th” initiative that aims to make and establish Independence Day the biggest annual day of giving.
A time capsule will be buried in Philadelphia to be opened in 2276 on July 4. It contains a carefully curated collection of letters and artifacts reflecting the leadership, institutions, and communities that shape the country today. It will include contributions from all three branches of the U.S. federal government and submissions from each of the 50 states, Washington D.C., and five territories.
Separately, the White House’s Freedom 250’s biggest spectacles are the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, running June 25 to July 10; the July 4 Salute to America Fireworks, also on the National Mall; “Sail 4th 250,” billed as the largest-ever flotilla of tall ships from around the world in New York Harbor; and Rushmore 250, an iconic 4th of July fireworks on July 3 alongside military concerts and live presidential reenactors.
Indiana
Retro Indy: These cities could have been Indiana’s capital
After bouncing between nine different cities in the years following the nation’s founding on July 4, 1776, the United States’ capital finally settled into its permanent home in Washington, D.C. on December 1, 1800.
That same year, Indiana gained the first of its three capitals at a former French trading post near the site of a pivotal battle in the Revolutionary War.
The journey of Indiana’s seat of government from Vincennes to Indianapolis via a stop in Corydon reflects the growth of the state in the early years of the nation’s history.
Founded by French explorers in 1732, Vincennes was Indiana’s first permanent European settlement. France ceded control to the British in 1763, who built Fort Sackville in 1777 to protect the Western front during the Revolutionary War. Americans took over the fort in 1778, but lost it to the British a few months later.
Then in 1779, Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark successfully led a daring expedition 180 miles across the flooded plains from Kaskaskia, Illinois, to recapture Fort Sackville for the United States and secure the area that would later become the Northwest Territory.
In 1800, Congress carved out the western portion of the Northwest Territory to create the new Indiana Territory which encompassed Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and parts of Michigan. Vincennes was named the capital of the Indiana Territory.
By 1810, the size of the Indiana Territory had shrunk to the state’s current boundaries. Lawmakers sought to move the territorial capital to a new location in the southeastern part of the state where the center of population had shifted. Madison, Charlestown, Lawrenceburg, Clarksville and Jeffersonville were all in the running for the prized seat of government, but Corydon eventually won out in 1813 because of its centralized location and its new limestone courthouse that would make an ideal site for the legislature to meet.
After serving three years as the territorial capital, Corydon became the first official state capital when Indiana was granted statehood in 1816. Under the state constitution this was a temporary arrangement that would end in 1825 when a permanent state capital would be established on land the federal government had donated.
In 1820, a group of commissioners met at William Conner’s house near Noblesville to begin their search for a new capital that would be carved out of the wilderness. Two sites landed on their short list – a well-known waystation for travelers on the bluffs of the White River in present-day Morgan County and a small pioneer settlement at the confluence of the White River and Fall Creek. The latter was approved by the commissioners on June 7, 1820 partly because they mistakenly believed that the White River was deep enough to serve as a major artery for commercial shipping.
The General Assembly approved the commissioners’ recommendation on January 6, 1821. After rejecting “Tecumseh” and “Suwarrow,” lawmakers named the new capital “Indianapolis,” for city of Indiana. Because most of its residents were sick with malaria during the summer of 1821, the city’s first Fourth of July celebration was held in 1822. The entire town was invited, and a freshly killed buck was barbecued in the middle of Washington Street. Near the end of the day and after much alcohol was consumed, pioneer leader Calvin Fletcher offered the following toast: “Indianapolis. May it not prove itself unworthy of the honor the state has conferred upon it by making it her seat of government.”
As it turned out, however, being designated the state capital and becoming the state capital were two different things. The Indiana General Assembly needed to pass legislation to relocate state government from Corydon to Indianapolis, but southern Indiana lawmakers balked at relinquishing their power base. And so the nascent city of Indianapolis lacked representation in the General Assembly until 1823. Finally in January 1824, state lawmakers authorized the move and later that year the official relocation began.
On a sunny day in October 1824, a small wagon train led by State Treasurer Samuel Merrill left Corydon to begin the arduous journey through the backwoods to Indianapolis. A large covered wagon carried important state documents and a strong box containing the state treasury.
As later recounted by Merrill’s son, the party made quite an impression when it reached Indianapolis after 11 days on the road.
Feeling like this was the proudest day of his life, the wagon driver decked out the horses with sleigh bells as they approached the city and asked a man who passed them on horseback to ride forward and let the townspeople know that the seat of government was coming.
According to Samuel Merrill, Jr.’s account, “At the word, out poured most of the five hundred inhabitants – boys, girls, men and women – to see a sight that will never again be seen in Indiana.”
The capital had finally arrived.
Libby Cierzniak is a retired attorney who has written extensively about Indianapolis history for HistoricIndianapolis.com and in her own blog, Indypolitan.com. She is a frequent guest on Hoosier History Live and a regular contributor to Retro Indy. Contact her via Indypolitan.com.
-
Cleveland, OH6 minutes agoExtreme heat warning ends Friday evening: What to expect
-
Austin, TX13 minutes agoTexas May Have the Best Defensive Back Class in America
-
Alabama16 minutes agoAmerican Village to host Alabama’s official America 250 celebration in Montevallo
-
Alaska21 minutes ago
How the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska spawned the Kremlin’s myth of the ‘spirit of Anchorage’ — and why it collapsed — Meduza
-
Arizona28 minutes agoYour language, your news, sign up for La Voz newsletter
-
Arkansas31 minutes agoBoating expert shares lessons from fatal crash as Fourth of July crowds hit Arkansas lakes
-
California36 minutes agoCalifornia Highway Patrol work to keep drivers safe during holiday weekend enforcement
-
Colorado43 minutes ago
Suspect arrested after starting vehicle fire in Colorado Springs





