Fox v. City of Austin

Dr. Andrew Fox created the chaplaincy program at the Austin Fire Department and served as the lead chaplain in a volunteer capacity for eight years, earning the trust and respect of the firefighters. But after Dr. Fox shared his religious views on his personal blog, city officials demanded he recant and apologize for the harm his blog post allegedly caused. He explained that his intent was to foster discussion, not cause offense, and apologized if anyone was offended. But his apology wasn’t good enough for Austin city officials who demanded total compliance with their political ideology, and they forced Dr. Fox to turn in his uniform.

Case timeline

• December 2021: The Austin Fire Department fired Dr. Fox from his position as volunteer fire chaplain.
• August 2022: ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit against the City of Austin on behalf of Dr. Fox.
• February 2026: ADF attorneys reach a favorable settlement agreement with city officials. As part of the settlement with Andrew Fox, city officials paid him damages and wrote a letter thanking him for his valued service.