In-N-Out Prints Bible Verses on Cups, but Gets Sued for Sacking Employee Who Wanted Sundays off for Church

A former In-N-Out employee alleges that she experienced religious discrimination after requesting Sundays off to attend church services. Arianna Rodriguez filed a civil complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claiming she was fired in July after a prolonged dispute at the East Carson Street location in Long Beach, California. The allegations come from Rodriguez's civil complaint and have not been independently verified by IBTimes UK.

To recall, the fast-food company has long been associated with the Christian faith of its ownership, making this legal dispute particularly notable. The complaint details a timeline of events that began four years after Rodriguez was hired as a cook in August 2021.

New Manager Revokes Sundays For Church Accommodation

Rodriguez claims that as a Christian, she attended church on Sundays as part of her religious observance. According to the filing, she requested Sundays off, and this accommodation was initially granted. She alleges that the situation changed when a new manager began working at the store in 2025.

Upon this change in management, Rodriguez claims she experienced a material change in the way she was treated at work, and the everyday stuff of her employment became strained.

The complaint alleges that the discrimination began in October 2025. Rodriguez claims she was written up after the new manager learned of her religious affiliation. Her request to have Sundays off to attend religious services then became a recurring source of workplace conflict, the filing states.

In-N-Out Sued by Employee Over Retaliation Claims

The scheduling dispute eventually led to her dismissal, according to her account. She claims she was suspended on June 24 after handling food that she believed to be waste. Following an internal company investigation, Rodriguez claims she was fired on July 3.

In her legal filing, Rodriguez outlines a broad array of accusations against the company. She alleges religious discrimination, a failure to provide religious accommodations, and retaliation against her for being a whistleblower and engaging in protected activity.

The complaint also lists claims of wrongful termination, failure to pay final wages, failure to provide itemised wage statements, failure to maintain required payroll and employment records, and unfair business practices. She asserts that she suffered and continues to suffer substantial damages, with the amount to be proven at trial.

Bible Verse on Cups and Corporate Faith

The allegations involve a dispute over religious accommodation at a company whose chief executive, Lynsi Snyder, has publicly discussed her Christian beliefs. In a 2019 interview, Snyder discussed her upbringing and the company's famous packaging. She noted that her grandparents set the bar high and she only tries to raise it, maintaining the original standards without compromising the quality of the product or service.

Snyder explained the origin of the Bible verses printed on the cups and wrappers. According to Snyder, her uncle Rich added the scriptures to the packaging in the early 1990s. He had recently accepted the Lord and wanted to put a touch of his faith on the family brand. Snyder later added verses to the fry boat, coffee cups, and hot cocoa cups. The chain's soda cups, fry boats, and coffee cups are printed with 'John 3:16', 'Proverbs 24:16', and 'Luke 6:35', respectively.