ATLANTA — Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed fired Kelvin Cochran over a religious-based book that condemns the gay community.
Channel 2's Dave Huddleston learned what was fueling the safety concerns.
The mayor has received hundreds, if not thousands of emails from people who want him to re-hire Cochran. In some of the emails, they compare him to a terrorist, others calling him much worse, but he says he stands by his decision.
"The only part that's troublesome to me is the number of phone calls I’ve gotten to my home," Reed said.
Phone calls, Reed told Huddleston in an interview, that called him that call him the anti-Christ or terrorist, and emails that call him a bigot, or disgusting.
Channel 2 Action News learned the mayor's safety has become a concern, but his security team does not and will not comment on safety protocol. Reed fired Cochran after he gave this book-which condemns homosexuality to some subordinates. The issue has sparked massive rallies and a national debate about religious freedom.
“I hired him to prevent fires and put them out, not to be at the center of it,” Reed said.
Cochran sent me this statement:
The most baffling thing is that I had permission to write my book and I was exonerated of discriminating against anyone. This happened to me, but it's really not about me. It's a warning to every American that freedom of speech and freedom of religion are hanging by a thread, which will snap if we don't fight to preserve these cherished protections."
Reed says he plans to meet with the city's faith leaders to get their best thinking and their advice, and to once again explain why he fired Cochran.
WSBTV
