Kentucky barista says she was fired for sharing Christian beliefs

EXCLUSIVE-A Kentucky college student says she was fired after sharing her religious beliefs with a colleague who asked her about her views on marriage and sexuality.

Paige Rogers, 19, told Fox News Digital that she worked as a part-time barista at Heine Brothers Coffee, a Louisville-based coffee chain, from November 2024 until she was laid off in October 2025.

During a shift on Oct. 1, 2025, Rogers said a co-worker learned she was a student at Boyce College, a Christian college in Louisville. Rogers said the colleague then began asking “probing questions about my views on marriage, sexuality and other similar topics.”

“I answered his questions honestly and respectfully, sharing my personal religious beliefs as a Christian,” Rogers said.

A Christian student in Kentucky claims discrimination after she was fired for speaking about her religious beliefs when a colleague allegedly questioned her. (First Liberty Institute/iStock)

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Less than two weeks later, Rogers said she received a text message from human resources at Heine Brothers Coffee informing her of her termination.

“Their reasoning was that I had expressed my religious beliefs in a way that was offensive to my colleagues,” Rogers said. “That was it. No face-to-face conversation.”

According to a thread shared with Fox News Digital, the company said it conducted an investigation after receiving a complaint and determining that Rogers violated company policies regarding “respectful workplace conduct and anti-discrimination.”

“It has been reported and confirmed that you engaged in conversations in your workplace in which you expressed your religious beliefs in a manner that was unwelcome and offensive to others,” the text reads. “These conversations created discomfort among team members and contributed to a work environment inconsistent with our company values ​​and code of conduct.”

Paige Rogers, 19, told Fox News Digital that she works part-time as a barista at Heine Brothers Coffee, a Louisville-based coffee chain. (iStock via Getty)

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She was also told that it didn’t matter that the co-worker initiated the conversation with her first and that his comments “made several people uncomfortable and offended.”

Rogers was told she was not allowed to see video footage of the incident when she asked what comments were discriminatory.

With assistance from the First Liberty Institute and the Sturgill Turner law firm, Rogers filed a discrimination complaint Wednesday with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Kentucky Human Rights Commission, alleging religious discrimination and a hostile work environment.

“The idea that an employer could fire an employee simply for expressing a religious belief, after being asked to do so, is frightening,” Cliff Martin, senior attorney at First Liberty Institute, said in a statement. “No employee should have to hide their faith to keep their job.”

Paige Rogers said her Christian faith was central to her life. (iStock)

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Carmine Iaccarino of Sturgill Turner also said in a statement: “The Civil Rights Act protects Americans from religious discrimination in the workplace. When the reasoning given for firing Paige was that her expressed beliefs were “unwelcome and offensive,” and yet the offended employee brought up the conversation to begin with, the Heine brothers’ religious discrimination is clearly visible. This is completely unacceptable and appalling. »

First Liberty said in a news release that it hopes this charge will help Rogers get his job back, receive compensation for lost income and hold Heine Brothers Coffee accountable.

Rogers said she filed the lawsuit to defend free speech.

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“I hope this never happens to anyone else. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions,” she told Fox News Digital. “My faith is at the core of who I am, and I pray that I will always be free to answer questions and share the truth of the Gospel with anyone who asks and will listen.”

Rogers added that she hopes to inspire other people of faith to be bold in standing up for their beliefs, even when it’s not easy, “because it’s the right thing to do.”

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“Look at the cross and you will find the strength and peace to overcome,” she added.

Heine Brothers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.