l. a. county

A Christian engineer with L.A. County claims his bosses discriminated against him by forcing him to pass by a Pride flag on the way to his office, the latest legal challenge to the government’s policy of requiring many government buildings display the flag throughout June.

Eric Batman, a 24-year veteran of the Department of Public Works, sued the county March 10 for refusing to let him work remotely in June, when the rainbow-striped flag hangs in front of his department’s Alhambra headquarters.

It’s the second lawsuit to target the county’s 2023 policy ordering the raising of the “Progress Pride Flag,” a modified version of the traditional rainbow flag with additional stripes representing people of color and transgender and nonbinary people.

In May 2024, Jeffrey Little, an evangelical Christian county lifeguard, sued the county for requiring he work feet away from the flag. That case, filed by conservative Catholic legal group Thomas More Society, is ongoing.

Batman said he first asked to work remotely for the month of June in 2024 to avoid the flag, which he found “highly offensive,” according to the suit.

A supervisor rejected his request, according to the filing, noting the county was “committed to fostering an inclusive workplace, including for our LGBTQ+ employees.” The supervisor suggested he use another entrance, Batman’s suit claimed.

“They wouldn’t give it to him because the county said ‘Our interest is in inclusivity — regardless of whether or not that includes you,”’ said Daniel Schmid, an attorney with Liberty Counsel, a Christian legal group representing Batman.

Liberty Counsel frequently takes on high-profile plaintiffs who oppose same-sex marriage, including the case of Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

A spokesperson for the county’s public works department said she could not comment on the suit as it had not yet been served.

February was a short but busy month, with holidays Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, Iftar and Lent all overlapping this year.

It also marked Black History Month, offering an opportunity to celebrate the culinary contributions of Black communities near and far, including resilient restaurants in Pasadena and Altadena, a 250-acre ranch in Acton that represents the largest Black-owned farm in L.A. County, and the legacy of the ‘Dean of Southern cuisine’ chef Joe Randall, who died at 79 after spending a half-century of amplifying African American culinary traditions. In Inglewood, Serving Spoon won the America’s Classic in California award from the James Beard Foundation, and will receive a medal at the ceremony this June.

With summer temperatures and clear skies this weekend, it’s hard to believe that just weeks ago, the city was hit with a week of heavy rainstorms. Several restaurants across the region were forced to temporarily close due to flooding, resulting in revenue loss and expensive repairs.

March brings the start of spring, which means we’re already seeing seasonal produce such as asparagus, peas and apricots appear on our favorite menus. Keep reading for more dining ideas this month, including the return of a globe-trotting cafe, a community-minded food hub in South L.A. and an Argentinian bistro with a connection to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance.