Woman Files Lawsuit Against Faith-Based Organization, Claims Company Not Following the Law

A former employee of a faith-based organization has filed a lawsuit alleging that the company failed to adhere to labor laws. Carmen McCreight, a former Executive Assistant at the Christian Research Institute, claims she was not paid for overtime work and was promised a salary that was significantly less than what was agreed upon.

McCreight stated she worked constant overtime without additional compensation and begged for three years to receive the pay she was promised. She claims her supervisors retaliated by firing her after she raised concerns about her pay. “It’s not legal what’s going on. I feel like I’m being taken advantage of. I feel that I was misled,” she said.

McCreight alleged that her supervisors at the Christian Research Institute promised her an Executive Assistant salary. The organization’s website describes its mission as equipping Christians worldwide with information to encourage their faith and represent it intelligently to others.

Her lawsuit, filed in January, claims her bosses were paying her about $9,000 less than originally agreed. She recounted a meeting with a manager where he expressed reluctance to fulfill the promised salary, stating he would increase her pay by the end of 2016. “We’re going to give it to you and you’re worth this,” McCreight said.

Despite these assurances, McCreight said nothing changed by 2017, and her financial situation deteriorated. She described struggling to meet basic expenses, with utilities and other bills being shut off or payments delayed. “One thing got shut off and then another thing got shut off or maybe I was late on this or late on that,” she said.

The lawsuit also alleges that McCreight was working up to 60 hours a week, including scheduled off days, but was classified as an exempt employee and could not be paid for overtime. Additionally, she used her personal car for errands and performed housekeeping duties for the office.

Meanwhile, the organization’s tax filings show that her supervisors were receiving six-figure salaries. In November 2018, McCreight was fired, and the lawsuit claims this was retaliation for her complaints about her pay. She admitted she hates that it happened, but the details of her case continue to unfold.

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