Troy Vermillion, a wide receiver, was cut from the Colorado Ice on April 2. According to the team, it was for performance; according to him, it was because he didn’t like naked chicks. Vermillion is a devout Christian and he recently objected to pornographic magazines on the team bus and the recent showing of Wedding Crashers (Unrated!) on a road trip.
Vermillion says he complained about the choice of movie (the other members of the team probably didn’t want to watch The Ten Commandments) and was told to put on headphones and watch another movie on his portable DVD player. When that movie ended, he asked to leave the team bus and ride with his wife (who was following the bus) instead. The head coach told him he had to stay on the bus because he was a member of the team.
Vermillion said that his playing time was cut that game and for subsequent games until he was released:
It’s all because I stood up. If I would have taken that movie to an office and made everyone sit and watch it, I would be fired. So why is it OK for a football team to do it? I didn’t want to bend my faith.
He’s actually got a good point there. Vermillion claims he won’t the sue team but he’s got a pretty good hostile workplace environment case if he wants to pursue it.
Links:
[Denver Post]: WR disputes release by Ice