EEOC Sues Rock Snowpark for Religious Discrimination

MILWAUKEE— Crystal Ridge Ski Area, LLC, doing business as The Rock Snowpark, a winter sports park and summer events venue in Franklin, Wisconsin, violated federal law when it terminated a lift operations manager because of his religion, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

According to the suit, the Rock Snowpark fired a Christian employee, because of his religious beliefs, in violation of federal law. The EEOC alleges that the employee frequently posted Bible verses and faith-based messages on his personal social media account. Although his posts made no mention of the workplace or coworkers, his supervisor told him to refrain from posting them. After confirming with the supervisor that he could continue sharing scripture, the employee was fired three days later for posting another Bible verse.

“All employees have the right to earn a living free from discrimination based on their religious beliefs,” said EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas. “While employers must remain alert to potential harassment in the workplace, religious statements made outside of work that do not reference or impact anyone in the workplace do not constitute unlawful harassment.”

The alleged discharge violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination because of an individual’s religion. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Crystal Ridge Ski Area, LLC d/b/a The Rock Snowpark, LLC, Case No. 25-cv-940) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Division after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

For more information on religious discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination.

The EEOC’s Chicago District Office has jurisdiction over Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.