Several hundred people gathered inside the Capitol this afternoon for a rally to support terminated Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, and Dr. Alveda King were among the speakers at the event, but everyone was waiting to hear from Cochran, who spoke last. He cited Bible verses, lead a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Preamble to the Constitution, before launching into comments condemning his termination. He said “freedom of religion and freedom of speech is under attack” in Atlanta and across the nation.
Cochran said he received permission to write the self-published book, “Who Told You That You Were Naked?”, which condemns homosexuality, that led to his firing by Mayor Kasim Reed last week. “My termination is unjust,” he said. “After 34 years of dedicated service, seven of which was committed to Atlanta, I cannot believe that my termination came because of the public expression of my faith.”
Cochran repeated his belief that “sex should be between a man and woman in the bonds of holy matrimony,” but also said his “Christian values mean a love for all humankind. I believe that every person possesses the image of the creator and has inherent dignity and worth.”
After the rally, the group marched to city hall to deliver petitions in support of Cochran containing more than 40,000 signatures. The petitions call for his rehiring, restoration of income and an apology from Reed.
As the rally ended, Mayor Reed’s office released its findings in an investigation into Cochran’s actions to the media.
The Investigative Report shows that Mr. Cochran did not have authority to publish the book as required by the Atlanta Code of Ordinances and that he distributed the book to at least nine subordinates at work. It also describes a general consensus among the interviewed Atlanta Fire Rescue Department employees that Mr. Cochran’s book publication, in his capacity of Fire Chief, undermined his ability to provide leadership to the Department in the future.
The complete report can be read at this link.
Mayor Reed also released a statement to his supporters as the controversy over Cochran’s dismissal has gone nationwide. The statement said in part:
While you may have read articles that asserted the issue at hand was Chief Cochran’s religious beliefs, I can assure you that those comments could not be further from the truth. The truth is that I am a man of deep faith myself, and we are a city of laws. Chief Cochran’s book, “Who Told You You Were Naked,” was published in violation of the city’s Standards of Conduct, which required prior approval from the Board of Ethics. I believe his actions, decisions, and lack of judgment undermined his ability to effectively manage a large, diverse workforce. Every single City of Atlanta employee deserves the certainty that he or she is a valued member of the team and that fairness and respect guide our employment decisions. His actions and his statements during the investigation and his suspension eroded my confidence in his ability to serve as a member of my senior leadership team.
Comments are closed.