A Utah Bath & Body Works manager was shown the door after refusing to bow to corporate pronoun policy, and now the battle lines are drawn between religious liberty and the ever-expanding alphabet of woke workplace mandates.
At a Glance
- Jocelyn Boden, a devout Latter-day Saint and Bath & Body Works manager, was fired for not using male pronouns for a transgender employee
- Boden claims her religious convictions were ignored and is seeking justice through the EEOC with backing from First Liberty Institute
- Bath & Body Works touts its 100% score for LGBTQ+ inclusion and insists it followed the law to the letter
- This case highlights the national collision course between religious freedom and corporate “inclusion” dogma
Manager Fired for Faith: The Utah Pronoun Standoff
Jocelyn Boden, a veteran manager at the Layton, Utah Bath & Body Works, says her religious beliefs cost her the career she built over three years. In April 2025, Boden hired a new employee—a biological female who identified as male. Boden, upholding the values of her faith as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, used the employee’s chosen name but refused to use male pronouns. She made her stance clear to her district manager: her faith precluded her from affirming what she did not believe to be true. It wasn’t enough for the company, which has made a public spectacle of “inclusion.” After a few complaints from employees, human resources launched an investigation. Two days later, Boden was fired for violating company policy against “unwanted conduct” based on gender identity.
Bath & Body Works didn’t just let her go—they made an example of her. The company, which brags about its perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign for LGBTQ+ inclusion, sent a message: if your values don’t toe the progressive line, don’t expect to keep your job, no matter your tenure or performance. Boden’s firing, without any warning or offer of accommodation, is a slap in the face to millions who still believe that faith has a place in the public square.
Legal Showdown: Title VII and Religious Accommodation on Trial
First Liberty Institute, a heavyweight in religious liberty litigation, wasted no time filing a discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Their argument is bold and clear: federal and state law require reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs, and Bath & Body Works trampled that right. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Utah Anti-discrimination Act both prohibit discrimination not just on the basis of gender identity but also religion. The law is supposed to protect employees from being forced to choose between their faith and their job. Yet Boden was told, in effect, that her convictions were intolerable. The EEOC now holds the next move—investigate, mediate, or give Boden the green light to sue.
The company’s PR department responded with a canned statement about being an “equal opportunity employer.” But the facts are plain: when push came to shove, they sided with the woke mob over a woman’s sincere religious beliefs. First Liberty’s senior counsel, Stephanie Taub, called out the hypocrisy: “No one should be forced to choose between their job and their faith. Bath & Body Works could have easily worked with Jocelyn and offered an accommodation, but instead they chose to violate state and federal law and fire her.”
Faith or Forced Speech? The National Implications for Conservative America
This Utah case is just the latest flashpoint in a nationwide trend: traditional values are being bulldozed by corporate DEI dictates, and if you won’t play along, you’re disposable. The legal outcome here matters. If Bath & Body Works gets away with punishing Boden, it will embolden every HR department from Seattle to Savannah to do the same. The message to people of faith and common sense: check your convictions at the door, or get in line for the unemployment office.
On the other side, LGBTQ+ activists argue that pronoun compliance is about dignity and inclusion. But what about the dignity of Americans who refuse to deny biological reality or their deepest beliefs? Religious employees are watching closely—will the government defend their rights, or is the Constitution just a relic to be trampled for the latest “progressive” cause? Employers, meanwhile, are stuck in the crosshairs, forced to juggle mutually exclusive demands of “inclusion” and religious accommodation.
The Battle for America’s Workplaces: What Comes Next?
As the EEOC considers the case, the stakes could not be higher for anyone who values religious freedom, free speech, and the right to dissent from the ever-shifting winds of corporate morality. If Boden prevails, it could force a reckoning: companies may finally have to recognize that “inclusion” cannot mean exclusion for people of faith. If not, expect an avalanche of similar firings and lawsuits as the culture war rages on. For now, Boden’s story is a wake-up call to every American who sees what’s happening and refuses to be silenced.
The outcome will set a precedent not just for Bath & Body Works, not just for Utah, but for every workplace in America where common sense and conviction are on the chopping block.
Sources:
First Liberty Institute official release
Employment law analysis (Ogletree Deakins)
