Judge dismisses claims of religious bias in case

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen on Monday rejected bias accusations made by a fired Little Rock sewer worker and his lawyer, saying their claims are baseless because the men have no evidence the judge knew anything about their spiritual beliefs.

The judge also, for the second time, dismissed James Young’s wrongful-firing lawsuit against the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority, noting that his decision was based on evidence that included Young’s own admissions about how the 59-yearold Maumelle man was treated as an employee.

The authority’s lawyers had defended Griffen’s conduct and dismissal decision, noting that the judge had ruled more than once in Young’s favor during the nearly two-year course of the litigation before determining that Young could not prove he had been wronged.

The authority lawyers further argued that Young and his lawyer, Chris Corbitt of Little Rock, had no proof that Griffen’s decision was made because of prejudice.

Corbitt and Young, both white and Christian, had called on Griffen, a Black minister, to recuse, citing a blog post, “The Impotence of White Christianity” the judge had written the day before he dismissed Young’s lawsuit.

Griffen stated in his sixpage ruling Monday that there is no evidence he knew anything about their faith before making his decision in February.

With his motion for Griffen to recuse, Corbitt simultaneously filed an extended version of the lawsuit, stating that he was entitled to amend the original complaint because Griffen’s decision had yet to be put in writing.

Griffen on Monday rejected that argument too, stating that court rules to not allow Corbitt to expand the lawsuit the way he did because Corbitt did not provide any additional evidence to prove Young’s wrongful-firing accusations.

In “The Impotence of White Christianity” post, Griffen wrote, among other things, “It’s time for White Christian Americans to face the bitter truth people of color have known for centuries. White Christianity is not a force for truth, justice, peace or anything else we consider good.”