Religion News in Brief. Former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard said he will continue to hold weekly prayer meetings at his home, three years after he was ousted from the church he founded amid a scandal involving a male prostitute and drug use.

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Former Washington Times opinion editor accuses paper of religious discrimination, harassment. The former opinion editor of The Washington Times has filed a religious discrimination complaint against the paper.

Washington Times denies ex-opinion editor's claim of religious discrimination. The Washington Times is denying a religious discrimination claim by the paper's former opinion editor.

City leaders in Tampa, Florida have decided in favor of outlawing transgender discrimination. City leaders in Tampa, Florida have decided in favor of outlawing transgender discrimination. The City Council approved the measure that bans discrimination based on gender identity and expression in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations with a 5-1 vote. District 6 Council member Charlie Miranda altered his previous yes vote during a November 19 second reading of the bill. Miranda was not available for comment. Gay groups Pride Tampa Bay, Equality Florida and Organizations United Together (OUT) rallied in favor of the legislation. ?In 38 states it's legal to fire otherwise qualified employees because of their gender identity or expression,? R. Zeke Fread, director of Pride Tampa Bay, said in an email. ?By adding gender identity and expression [to the list of protected classes] our council members are sending a clear and strong message that discrimination in the workplace,

Sears pays record $6.2 million to settle charges it discriminated against disabled workers. Sears Holdings Corp. has agreed to pay a record $6.2 million to settle allegations that it illegally fired disabled employees.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sears Holdings Corp agreed to pay a record $6.2 million to settle a lawsuit by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that the department store retailer illegally fired disabled workers.

New Mexico administrators looking into Locksley fight with assistant. University of New Mexico administrators have opened an investigation into a fight where football coach Mike Locksley struck an assistant, and the first-year coach could face suspension or firing.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert met with gay rights advocacy groups Tuesday for the first time since saying he opposes providing legal protections for gay and transgender people.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert meets with gay rights groups after opposing anti-discrimination laws. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert met with gay rights advocacy groups Tuesday for the first time since saying he opposes providing legal protections for gay and transgender people.

Democrats seek to override Supreme Court ruling that raised bar for proving age discrimination. Democrats want to counter a recent Supreme Court ruling that makes it harder for older workers to prove they are the victims of age discrimination.

On gay rights, new role seen for Justice Department in fighting discrimination. The Obama administration's point man on civil rights said Wednesday he will seek to fight discrimination against gays, an area in which the Justice Department has had only a small role in the past.

Massey Energy settles class-action age discrimination suit with union miners for $8.75M. More than 200 miners who were not rehired after Massey Energy bought a bankrupt West Virginia mine have settled an age discrimination lawsuit against the Richmond, Va.-based coal producer for $8.75 million.

Massey Energy settles class-action age discrimination suit with union miners for $8.75 million. More than 200 miners who were not rehired after Massey Energy Co. bought a bankrupt West Virginia mine have settled an age discrimination lawsuit against the Richmond, Va.-based coal producer for $8.75 million.

HR giant Administaff named in discrimination suit; Jewish ex-employees say they were harassed. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against human resources giant Administaff Inc. and a small cable television service company in Maryland.

Lawry's restaurants to pay over $1M to settle lawsuit claiming men barred from waiting tables. The Lawry's restaurant chain agreed Monday to pay more than $1 million to settle a federal lawsuit that claimed it barred men from waiting tables at its high-end steakhouses.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arab and Muslim Americans on Friday braced for the possibility of verbal or physical attacks after an Army psychiatrist of Arab descent allegedly killed 13 during a shooting rampage at a military base in Texas.

Cheesecake Factory to pay $345,000 in sex harassment case brought by federal job rights agency. National restaurant chain The Cheesecake Factory Inc. has agreed to pay $345,000 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging it let some male employees sexually harass other male workers in suburban Phoenix.

Fort Worth adds transgender protections to anti-discrimination ordinance, gay rights debate heat up. The city of Fort Worth voted in favor of outlawing transgender discrimination during a heated City Council meeting on Tuesday, the 'Star-Telegram' reported. The city's anti-discrimination ordinance already protects based on race, sex, religion and sexual orientation in the areas of housing, employment and public accommodations. The 6-3 vote came late after a day of heated rhetoric on several additional gay rights proposals, including extending benefits to the spouses of gay city employees. Also being considered are ordinances that would consider a company's record on gay rights when approving tax breaks and adding gender reassignment surgery to the city's health insurance plan. The measures are being floated after a June raid on a gay bar, the Rainbow Lounge, that created a firestorm of protest from the gay community. Police stormed the bar with paddy wagons in tow and arrested six peop

The Obama administration strongly endorsed Senator Jeff Merkley's gay protections bill at its first hearing on Capitol Hill. The Obama administration strongly endorsed Senator Jeff Merkley's gay protections bill at its first hearing on Capitol Hill. ?It is a privilege to testify here today and to voice the Obama administration's strong support for fully-inclusive legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity,? Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Right Division Tom Perez told members of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) on Thursday. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (transgender protections). Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank introduced the House version of ENDA in July. In August two Democratic Senators ? the late Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley ? and two Republica