ATLANTA — Religious leaders are rallying behind Atlanta’s former fire chief, insisting Mayor Kasim Reed terminated him over his beliefs.
Channel 2’s Dave Huddleston covered the rally at the state Capitol on Tuesday.
Hundreds filled the state Capitol rotunda in support of former fire chief Kelvin Cochran.
“No one in this country today should write a book about their personal beliefs and lose a job over it,” said Dr. Robert White of the Georgia Baptist Convention.
With loud cheers and applause, Cochran stood and said he and his wife were humbled and grateful for this show of support. Reed says he fired Cochran for not getting prior approval to write the book that criticizes the gay community and for passing it out to some of his subordinates. But many at the Capitol feel he was fired for expressing his religious beliefs.
'We've been courteous, kind and quiet, but now we need to be courageous and bold and vocal and stand up for those things that matter," White said.
The group of a dozen speakers says Reed needs to re-hire Cochran. The mayor has received hundreds of emails stating the same thing. Some emails called the mayor a bigot; others said they're disgusted by Cochran’s firing.
But the mayor, and even some other religious leaders, stand firm – what happened with Cochran was not about freedom of religion, but a personnel matter.
"Some politicians, some religious leaders are certainly using that as a lightning rod,” said Rabbi Peter Berg of The Temple in Atlanta.
Reed says he stands by his decision and doesn't have any plans to re-hire Cochran. He is starting a national search for his replacement.