Red Flags

(Fox News) - A North Carolina Department of Agriculture employee is out of a job after defying an order by Governor Mike Easley that all flags at state buildings be flown at half-staff to honor the life of the late former Senator Jesse Helms.

The Charlotte Observer reports that L.F. Eason III, who had worked for the department since graduating from college 29 years ago, instructed his lab staff on Monday not to lower the U.S. or state flags. Eason said honoring Helms would be inappropriate because of what he called Helms' "doctrine of negative, hate and prejudice."

But some of the other employees — and even Eason's wife — argued that the flags were state property and he should lower them as ordered. When Eason refused, the 51-year-old was told by his superiors that his only other option would be to retire effective immediately.