SUBLETTE COUNTY – A Pinedale company responded to a former employee’s lawsuit that he was fired for not wearing a facemask or getting a COVID-19 vaccine per new company policies.

Benjamin D. Crosland, who worked for Enterprise Products for 14 years, claims that he was “wrongfully terminated” in August after his request for a religious exemption was denied by corporate officials, according to court records.

Enterprise Products Partners filed a motion to dismiss Crosland’s suit in 9^th District.

Its motion to dismissal says of Crosland’s religious exemption request – “Plaintiff avers he is a living soul in the image of God. He claims he has been threatened, harassed and intimidated about wearing a mask and that ‘he has a religious objection to the restriction of his connection to this his creator through his breath.’”

Judge Marv Tyler set a 30-minute telephone hearing for Oct. 13 at 1:30 p.m.