A Louisiana pastor says he was dismissed from his job at a public library for refusing to use a colleague’s preferred pronouns.

Luke Ash, lead pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, had worked at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library for less than six months when the incident occurred on July 7.

Speaking to Washington Watch, a Christian political program, Ash recounted: “A co-worker corrected me, said the person she was training preferred to be called ‘he,’ and I refused… I was fired for it.”

Despite being informed that the library’s policy protects employees’ right to be referred to by their chosen pronouns, Ash said, “I'm not going to lie, I cannot do it.” He acknowledged that his actions violated staff guidelines but believes his religious convictions should take precedence.

Commenting on the case, Logan Wolf of Forum for Equality said, “You just have to treat someone with basic decency… He’s doing this because he wants to be aggrieved.”

It remains unclear whether Ash will take legal action, but the case adds to the growing national tension between non-discrimination policies and freedom of conscience.