IFI Takes Action – Christian Employee Fired by IKEA over “They/Them” Pronouns
July 18, 2025
This week, IFI’s Five Freedoms Project, led by General Counsel Josh Hershberger, helped a former IKEA employee file a complaint against the company for violating his First Amendment rights. Read the press release below:
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 16, 2025) – A former IKEA employee recently filed a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Indiana Civil Rights Commission due to his unlawful termination from the store in Fishers, Indiana, after requesting a religious accommodation.
Steven Ressler is a devout Christian who believes there are only two genders (Gen. 1:27). Ressler began working for IKEA in 2019, and he was later promoted by the company to a Shopkeeper position. Consistent with his beliefs, he treated his co-workers with respect by using their first names; but, he could not in good conscience use they/them pronouns.
On December 9, 2024, he was suspended by IKEA pending an investigation for allegedly misgendering a co-worker. On December 11, during an interview with management, Ressler explained his beliefs and that he could not in good conscience use “they/them” pronouns.
On December 27, at the recommendation of IKEA personnel, Ressler filed a religious accommodation request to both “inform my employer of my religious beliefs and engage in the interactive process in good faith.” On December 30, 2024, Ressler was terminated from his position due to the alleged misgendering.
“I believe IKEA discriminated against me by failing to accommodate my sincerely held religious beliefs against using ‘they/them’ pronouns when addressing a transgender employee and terminated me for misgendering,” Ressler wrote. “Further, I believe IKEA retaliated against me by terminating me on December 30, 2024, one day after I engaged in protected activity by requesting a reasonable accommodation.”
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IFI’s Five Freedoms Project is a ministry effort that educates the public on First Amendment rights and defends the same against government intrusion – especially in cases of parental rights and religious freedom. We’re grateful for the opportunity to stand up for wronged Indiana citizens and help bring their cases to justice.
Of course, we can’t do this important pro bono work without support from friends like you. Would you consider contributing to IFI’s Five Freedoms Project today so we can continue defending the First Amendment rights of Hoosiers?