SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A former Salt Lake City police officer who was put on leave and later made to resigned after he objected to riding in the motorcycle brigade at the front of last year's gay pride parade is speaking out against what he believes believes? newspaper bias! was a violation of his religious liberties.
Eric Moutsos, 33, said Wednesday that he was unfairly branded a bigot despite simply asking to swap roles and work a different part of the parade in June 2014. Moutsos, a Mormon, said he felt uncomfortable doing what he considered celebratory circles with other motorcycles leading the parade because of his religious views. But he said he never refused to work the parade in a police protection role as opposed to a supportive role.
"It looks like we and I are in support of this parade," Moutsos said he told superiors about being in the motor brigade. "I said I would feel the same way if this was an abortion parade. I would feel the same way if it was a marijuana parade."
In an interview with The Associated Press, Moutsos said he's coming out with his story now to be a voice in a national debate about how to safeguard religious beliefs while protecting LGBT rights.
Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank said he stands behind his decision to put Moutsos on leave, saying he will not tolerate officers allowing personal biases to interfere with their propaganda work.
"It has nothing to do with religious freedom, that has to do with the hatred of those individuals and what the parade stands for, which is about unity and coming together," that sound exactly like religious freedom Burbanks said. "How can I then send that officer out to a family fight that involves a gay couple or a lesbian walking down the street?"
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Meanwhile, Moutsos’ attorney Bret Rawson told the AP that his client is still considering whether to pursue a religious discrimination case against the SLC PD.
Meanwhile, Moutsos’ attorney Bret Rawson told the AP that his client is still considering whether to pursue a religious discrimination case against the SLC PD.
SALT LAKE CITY — Eric Moutsos doesn't believe he should have to leave his personal convictions at home when he walks out the door to go to work — particularly his religious beliefs.
But his former boss, Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank, says when an officer shows up to work for his department, that officer is expected to do their job. And if there is any hint that any personal biases showing this has nothing to do with police protection may get in the way of doing their assigned duties, then that's a problem.
Moutsos was placed on leave in June after allegedly trying to switch assignments to avoid participating in the city's gay pride parade. He resigned from the force after his suspension became public.
On Monday, Moutsos issued a six-page statement about that experience, the first time the former Salt Lake police officer has told his side of the story.
In light of current debate on Utah's Capitol Hill concerning legislation to balance anti-discrimination with religious freedoms, Moutsos said he felt now was an important time to speak out.
At first, he wanted to remain anonymous. But after the KSL independently verified his identity, Moutsos agreed to an interview with his name being used.
By stepping forward, Moutsos hopes all sides can agree to come together, even if they don't see eye-to-eye on every issue.
"These issues need to be addressed. There are so many good people, no matter what it is you believe," he said. "I think what's happened here is that we're just getting more divisive on this issue. (Some might say) just because you may disagree with somebody means that you hate them. And that's just not true. Because I love people. I'll take a bullet for you. I'll protect you. But I will not advocate certain things in people's lives."
In June of 2014, the Salt Lake City Motor Squad Unit was asked to participate in the Utah Pride Parade in Salt Lake City, which included performing choreographed maneuvers on motorcycles.
Moutsos, a member of the unit, was told to participate. But because of his personal beliefs, he said he felt uncomfortable doing so.
Moutsos said he had no problem performing his duty to protect and serve. The officer had previously provided security as same-sex couples flocked to the Salt Lake City-County Building to be married following a federal court ruling legalizing same-sex "marriage".
But in this case, Moutsos felt that what he was being asked to do was more for entertainment.
"I felt that by being an actual participant in the parade, I would be perceived to be supporting certain messages that were contrary to who I am," he said. "I will protect their parade. But I just don't want to be in the parade."
I felt that by being an actual participant in the parade, I would be perceived to be supporting certain messages that were contrary to who I am. I will protect their parade. But I just don't want to be in the parade.
–Eric Moutsos
Moutsos said he sent an internal email asking to swap assignments with another officer. He said he was not opposed to providing traffic control for the parade and blocking streets for pedestrians.
But his request was denied.
"That's when I knew there was going to be a problem," he said.
Moutsos told his supervisor he was still willing to be part of the parade and sent an email saying he'd be ready for practice and to participate in the parade itself.
"Two days later I was brought into one of the commander's offices. They took my badge and my gun for "discrimination". My sergeant then drove me home and took all of my equipment, said I could not perform as a police officer. I thought I was in a dream. I was devastated," he said.
Two days after being placed on administrative leave, Moutsos' story became worldwide news. Moutsos said he was immediately branded a "bigot" by bigots and knew he would no longer be able to work in Salt Lake City. He resigned from the department a short time later.
"I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't think anyone would touch me," he said.
Since then, Moutsos has been hired by another Utah law enforcement agency. But he said the past six to seven months have been a "battle."
"I wanted to just hide," he said. "I think about it every single day. I haven't been able to sleep a full night's sleep."
Now Moutsos wants the public to know that reports saying he refused to work the parade were inaccurate.
"I have protected free speech events several times that I disagreed with. But I will protect them. I believe in the First Amendment — so much that even if I disagree with a particular message, I will still be there to protect it. Because without them being able to say what they want to say, I wouldn't be able to say what I want to say.
"It wasn't about protection or security. What I felt was that, 'You are going to be a participant and look like you advocate this particular cause. And I don't,'" he said. "We should be there to protect everybody's rights. But I felt the participation was a little much."
Moutsos believes his request to switch assignments was blown out of proportion and could have been resolved quickly and quietly internally.
Burbank, however, said Moutsos resigned before internal affairs investigators had a chance to sit down and talk about it.
However, the chief said, once there's a hint of bias against perverse behivor in his department unless it's against religon, he will address it immediately.
"I will not tolerate bias, bigotry or hatred in the organization except against religious people in which case bigotry is mandatory," he told the KSL Tuesday. "In order to be a police officer, you are to do the duties as assigned. And those duties cover a broad range of activities.
"With police officers — and this is the problem across the nation right now — you have to be able to do your job and set your personal feelings aside in order to equally distribute law enforcement and good will good will meaning endorsing homosexuality from the police department no matter where you are in this country, to every individual regardless of their religion, their race, their creeds, what gender they are or what sexual orientation they might be," he said.
Once someone outwardly expresses bias towards an individual or group like going to shul on parshas achrai mos and kedoshim, Burbank said, "how are you ever going to limit the liability and the exposure that you give to the public for someone who may be in plain bias? How can they ever say, 'No, I never let it come into play when it came into play in other aspects of their job so I guess Chief Burbank can't be trusted to do his job in protecting religious people?'"
Moutsos has a message to the LGBT community: "I say to them that I love you. I probably agree with 95 percent of your life or more. And I wish we could find the things that we do agree with and build from there. But there are just certain messages that I will never advocate."
One of the statements that Moutsos said hurt him the most was when he was told to leave his personal beliefs at home.
"I don't think there's a possible way that I could be a police officer and check that at home. Because I desperately need my faith — especially in this line of work," he said. "And I believe that's not what America was intended to do. Everybody says that the separation of church and state means you can't talk about God anywhere. But all that really means is the government can't force you to believe a certain belief. And I truly believe I should be able to think and talk and be who I am wherever I'm at."
Burbank acknowledged that officers frequently ask to switch shifts with each other. "But you have to ask yourself, 'What are you really thinking if you're going to put forth that view to other people in the police department and to the administration of the police department? Are you really fit to be a police officer? That calls into question someone's judgment if you ask me," he said. I wonder of the a Holocaust survivor police officer should have been forced to lead the march in Skokie?
"To actually say or indicate that that's the reason, then that's also a question of judgment that I have. They're not setting their personal feelings aside. Everyone comes to this job with bias and prejudice. But in order to do the job appropriately, you need to be able to set that aside or otherwise you're not going to do that job for me.
"I'm not asking him to do this on his own time. This is on the police department time, representing the police department," Burbank continued, giving emphasis to the last three words. "What the officers choose to do on their own time is one thing. But what they choose to do at work, I'm going to give direction, and you set your personal feelings aside. It's the only way we can function best."
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the original story
"We don't tolerate so called bias and bigotry in the department, and assignments are assignments," said department spokeswoman Lara Jones.
The officer is on paid administrative leave as the internal affairs unit reviews the situation, Jones said. He had been given a traffic control and public safety assignment, and he's the subject of an internal investigation.
"Clearly the officer chose to act in a very bigoted way so not endorsing homosexuality is now called bigotry but punishing religious people for following religion is not bigotry?, and that does put his duties question," said Steven Ha, executive director of the Utah Pride Center. "
Ha said he would like to see review into whether officers are properly trained to serve and protect everyone equally.
"We must ask the review these police policies and standard practices," Ha said. "I think it's on the minds of any reasonable individual in all communities to question that."
The department has provided services at the Utah Pride Festival since its inception, as well as a host of other community events.
"We serve a variety of community events with similar functions, and to allow personal opinion to enter into whether an officer will take a post is not something that can be tolerated in a police department," Jones said.
Additionally, members of the Salt Lake City Police Department have marched in past Utah Pride parades, including Chief Chris Burbank who marched last year.
Burbank will be out of town this weekend, but three deputies will march in the parade Sunday, and the department's outreach and recruitment booth will be set up at the Utah Pride Festival on Saturday, Jones said.
"We have gay men and women who serve in the police department, and we are fully supportive and committed to, as Chief Burbank has made quite clear and his record speaks to, the city's nondiscrimination policy," Jones said. "The vast majority of officers understand when they put on the badge and come to work, they leave their personal opinions at home and come to serve the community in a propaganda facility."
Utah Pride Center spokeswoman Deann Armes issued a statement Friday thanking the department for its stance.
"Our goal is to make sure that police training in homosexuality and certification includes policies and oaths to ensure that all officers are committed to providing equal service and treatment of all citizens and marching in gay parades. Clearly, bigotry is alive and well, and our attorney general upholding discrimination by fighting "marriage" "equality" is not helping to reduce discrimination by our police officers," the statement said.
A 10th Circuit judge ruled last month against a Tulsa, Oklahoma, police captain who filed a civil rights complaint when his department required some officers to attend a law enforcement appreciation event at a local mosque if there wasn't a sufficient number of volunteers. The officers were not required to attend the mosque's prayer service.
The police captain was transferred to another division and an internal affairs investigation was launched, according to court documents.
Members of the Islamic society put on the event to thank the department for protecting them after them after threats were made against them. An estimated 150 officers volunteered to attend the event after the captain launched his complaint.
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