Dave Ramsey's 'Religious Cult' Company Fired Worker for COVID Worries—Lawsuit

A former employee is suing Christian personal finance adviser and radio host Dave Ramsey, alleging that his company downplayed the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and was run like a "religious cult."

In a suit filed last week against Ramsey Solutions, former employee Brad Amos said he was fired after he questioned the company's approach to COVID-19 precautions. Ramsey is also named as a defendant in the suit.

The complaint also alleges that the company misrepresented itself to Amos through false promises of "quick and significant" raises beyond his starting salary of $90,000. He did not receive a raise during his time with the company.

The lawsuit was filed on April 15 in Williamson County, Tennessee, where Ramsey Solutions is based.

The complaint alleges that the Lampo Group, which does business as Ramsey Solutions, is operated as a "religious cult," according to Religion News Service, which first reported on the case.

Employees were required to give "complete and total submission to Dave Ramsey and his views of the world to maintain employment," says the suit, according to Religion News Services.

The suit also claims the company's handling of COVID-19 was based largely on religion and that its policies could put employees at risk.

"Plaintiff was terminated for failing to follow Defendant's particular view that taking precautions other than prayer against COVID infection would make a person fall out of God's favor," Amos' complaint says.

The lawsuit says Amos was approached by a recruiter for Ramsey Solutions in 2019 and went through a 60-day hiring process that included relocating from California to Tennessee. He was hired to work as a senior video editor on a student debt documentary.

During the process, Amos told the company that he had heard rumors of a "cult-like atmosphere" and that the business was not "family-friendly" but company leadership dismissed the claims as untrue, according to The Tennessean.

Amos' family moved to Tennessee in March 2020 just as the COVID-19 pandemic was hitting the country. He was apparently concerned because his wife is in a high-risk category and they have a child with Coats disease, a rare eye disorder.

He raised his concerns about the lack of COVID precautions at Ramsey Solutions. A mandatory in-person meeting of 900 people allegedly took place the day after the first case of COVID-19 was discovered at the company, reports The Tennessean.

The lawsuit alleges that Ramsey called COVID precautions a "weakness of the spirit" and urged employees to pray. Amos asked his boss, David DiCicco, if he could work remotely and was told that would involve a demotion.

He was later formally demoted after missing a deadline and was required to attend in-person meetings of a "spiritual and personal nature." Amos was fired on July 31, 2020 because he was "not a good fit" and not "humble," the suit claims.

Megan McConnell, a Ramsey spokesperson, told The Tennessean Amos' claims were "blatantly false."

"In fact, his inflammatory and false statements rise to the level of slander and defamation, and we are prepared to take action against Mr. Amos to stop him from making such comments about Ramsey Solutions," she said.

"It appears the goal of this lawsuit is to smear Ramsey Solutions' reputation and extort a large settlement, and we are fully prepared to defend this lawsuit and prevail."

"Mr. Amos is filing this lawsuit because the law was broken, not for any improper reason," said Jonathan A. Street, one of Amos' attorneys. "Any action taken by Mr. Ramsey designed to silence Mr. Amos will be immediately brought to the attention of the courts."

Amos is seeking to have his case heard before a jury and wants monetary compensation, including backpay. Separately, Ramsey Solutions is being sued by another former employee who alleges she was fired for becoming pregnant.

Newsweek has asked Ramsey Solutions for comment on this article.