A Louisiana employee at a Chili’s restaurant in Denham Springs claims he was terminated for refusing to call a nonbinary coworker by her chosen name and preferred pronouns. Wesley Kirk Ford Jr. wrote on Facebook on Saturday, July 11th, 2026, that he lost his job after addressing the coworker by her legal government name, according to Fox News Digital.

Ford said the company asked him to use the coworker’s chosen name instead. However, a spokesperson for Chili’s told Fox News Digital that Ford was fired due to repeated instances of harassment toward his fellow team member. The company stated that Ford had been asked multiple times to stop the behavior before his termination.

“Harassment, bullying, or behavior that disrespects another person is not consistent with our values and is not tolerated,” the spokesperson said, adding that Chili’s remains focused on supporting its staff and maintaining a respectful workplace.

In comments reported by PJ Media, Ford said he had never been disciplined at any job before and described his firing as a matter of principle rather than workplace conduct. He also indicated plans to seek a First Amendment or civil rights attorney to explore legal options.

Chili’s typically does not comment on personnel matters but chose to clarify the circumstances due to the public attention the case has received.

This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by The Washington Times AI News Desk.

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