SPRINGFIELD, MO – American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri Legal Director Tony Rothert sent a letter Oct. 8 to Todd A. Johnson of the Ozark Fire District informing him that the district is required to offer spousal benefits to its married employees, regardless of their sexual orientation. Despite state and federal court rulings striking down the 2004 Missouri Constitutional amendment that bans marriage between same-sex couples, the Ozark Fire District refuses to offer equal benefits to same-sex spouses, so today the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri filed a lawsuit on behalf of Andrea “Andi” Mooneyham against the Ozark Fire Protection District.
“After the court’s decision in Barrier v. Vasterling, Missouri law no longer allows government entities to ignore marriages,” said Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU of Missouri. “Captain Mooneyham puts her life on the line at work and should receive the same benefits to other married firefighters and their families.”