Former Port Allen Officer Sues Department Over Religious Violations

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PORT ALLEN, LA (WAFB) - A former Port Allen police officer says his previous employer violated his rights, and now he's fighting back. Patrick Marshall is suing Chief Esdron Brown, along with the Port Allen Police Department. Marshall is accusing Chief Brown of trying to enforce his religious views onto him and other employees. According to Marshall, Brown mandated all officers receive religious counseling from the department's chaplain. In the lawsuit, Marshall accuses Brown of threatening to have him suspended and even fired if he did not adhere. Marshall's attorney says Brown overstepped his boundaries. "Yes, competent officers is what you need, but you don't need to impose, you don't need to save your department, you know? You don't need to save their souls. That's not his job. His job is to enforce the law of the state. That's all he needs to do," said Earl Marcelle III. We reached out to Brown, but he refused to speak on camera. He says the accusations against him are false. We will have more updates as the case develops.

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