When one hears the name NASA, rocket ships and space exploration come to mind, not religion. But one man is suing a California division of NASA for alleged religious discrimination. David Coppedge was a computer specialist that worked on a NASA mission exploring Saturn and its moons. Once a team lead on the project, he claims he was demoted and eventually terminated because of his religious beliefs. Mr. Coppedge believes in intelligent design, a theory stating that something must have driven evolution.
NASA claims the 15-year project was winding down at the time of his termination and that 264 other employees were also let go at the same time because of budget cuts. Mr. Coppedge claims that his speaking to his co-workers about intelligent design led to his termination. Two other items that may have contributed was his desire to have the holiday party called a “Christmas party” and his backing of a proposed measure to have marriage only pertain to heterosexual couples.
Religion is one of many types of discrimination that are illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “Religious discrimination involves treating a person (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs. The law protects not only people who belong to traditional, organized religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism but also others who have sincerely held religious, ethical or moral beliefs.” The unfavorable treatment can be found in several forms, including refusal to hire an applicant, a negative difference in pay or benefits, being passed over for promotions, or wrongful termination.
Under Title VII, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious beliefs. This may include allowing certain types of dress or appearance required by an individual’s religion or not requiring someone to attend functions that go against their beliefs. Unreasonable accommodations are those that would be extremely costly to the employer, would put other employees at risk for harm, or would impede the rights of others.
Similar to sexual harassment, religious harassment is illegal under Title VII. The EEOC states “Harassment can include, for example, offensive remarks about a person’s religious beliefs or practices. Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that aren’t very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment.”
Religious discrimination can occur in any place of employment and can affect employees of any religion. It can range from continuous derogatory comments to actual termination of employment. If you feel you have been discriminated against because of your religious beliefs, it is important to contact a Kentucky employment attorney to discuss the facts of the situation and determine the proper course of action. The attorneys at Charles W. Miller & Associates have over eight years of experience in defending employees’ rights in Kentucky and Indiana.
Sources:
Ex-NASA employee claims discrimination for his beliefs; Associated Press; March 12, 2012