Cosby “Corey” Cunningham, an Iowa man, has reached an out-of-court settlement with his former employer, Eaton Corporation, a global power management company, following his termination in August 2023.

Cunningham, a self-described devout, born-again Christian, alleged in a federal lawsuit that he was fired for wearing T-shirts displaying Bible verses during the company’s Pride Month celebrations, claiming religious discrimination.

The case, which garnered significant attention, was dismissed on May 20, 2025, after both parties reached an unspecified settlement agreement, according to court documents.

Cunningham was hired by Eaton Corp in 2019 as a quality assurance manager at their Davenport, Iowa facility, where he oversaw new product development for military and commercial aerospace activities.

According to the lawsuit, Eaton began “increasingly promoting” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and support for the LGBTQ community in the workplace.

This included mandatory DEI training sessions, during one of which Cunningham claims he was “singled out” for disagreeing with the use of “woke” pronouns.

On June 2, 2023, Eaton initiated a Pride Month ceremony by raising a Pride flag in front of its main building and encouraging employees to wear specific colors and Pride-themed T-shirts to show support.

In response, Cunningham began wearing T-shirts with Bible verses to express his “sincerely held religious beliefs” and to “counter the views that were being coerced by the company on its employees” regarding LGBTQ pride, according to the lawsuit. The T-shirts included messages such as:

“Pride goes before destruction, an arrogant spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

“Taking back the rainbow — Genesis 9:13,” referencing the verse, “I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

Cunningham stated in his lawsuit that he believes “homosexual conduct is sinful” and that sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, even teachings that might offend others, was part of his religious duty.

Over the next eight weeks, Eaton managers reportedly held several meetings with Cunningham, expressing concerns that his T-shirts were perceived as inflammatory and potentially violated the company’s “Harassment-Free Policy.”

Despite Cunningham’s requests for a religious accommodation to continue wearing the shirts, management refused and sent him home on at least two occasions for non-compliance.

On August 23, 2023, Eaton terminated Cunningham, citing a violation of their workplace policy.

Cunningham responded by filing discrimination complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Iowa Civil Rights Commission before escalating the matter to a federal lawsuit in August 2024.

Represented by Robert Anderson of the Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative organization focused on religious freedom, Cunningham argued that his termination constituted unlawful religious discrimination.

Eaton’s legal team countered that Cunningham was not entitled to damages, asserting that the company’s actions were “legitimate and non-discriminatory and non-retaliatory” and based on valid business reasons.

They maintained that the T-shirts’ messages could be seen as offensive, intentional or otherwise, and that respecting pronoun usage was not a violation of Cunningham’s rights.

The case concluded with an out-of-court settlement, the details of which remain undisclosed.

Robert Anderson, Cunningham’s attorney, stated he was not at liberty to comment on the specifics of the agreement.

Eaton Corp declined to provide further comments to media outlets, including Fox News Digital.

The case sparked varied reactions on social media platforms like X, reflecting broader societal debates about religious freedom and workplace inclusivity.

Some users expressed support for Cunningham, arguing that his termination violated his right to express his religious beliefs. For instance, one post stated, “The Company was discriminatory actions for his religious beliefs and deserves to pay up big for religious discrimination!”

Another user remarked, “I’m so glad that this man sued because they were violating his rights.” Conversely, others criticized Eaton’s DEI policies, with comments like, “So much for your DEI BS!” and accusations that the company’s inclusivity efforts excluded certain viewpoints.

This case is not an isolated incident in Iowa or elsewhere, as similar lawsuits have emerged involving conflicts between religious expression and workplace diversity policies.

For example, in 2022, another Iowa man, Daniel Snyder, sued Arconic Inc. after being fired for comments made on the company’s intranet that referred to gay pride as an “abomination to God,” citing his Christian beliefs about the rainbow as a divine covenant.

Additionally, international cases, such as a Polish IKEA employee fired in 2019 for posting anti-gay Bible quotes, highlight similar tensions between religious convictions and corporate inclusivity policies.

These incidents underscore the complex balance between protecting religious freedom and fostering inclusive workplace environments.

Legal frameworks like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act in the U.S. require employers to reasonably accommodate employees’ religious practices unless doing so causes undue hardship.

However, determining what constitutes a reasonable accommodation or a violation of workplace policies remains a contentious issue in courts.