NASA faces trial over alleged discrimination against intelligent design proponent

[cleanhippie]

NASA’s explanation is that computer specialist David Coppedge lost his status as “team lead” after his co-workers complained of harassment and was let go when the project he was working on ended. According to Caltech, Coppedge was just one of 246 JPL employees terminated last year due to budget cuts.

Coppedge, however, says “he was discriminated against because he engaged his co-workers in conversations about intelligent design and handed out DVDs on the idea while at work.”

“The question is whether the plaintiff was fired simply because he was wasting people’s time and bothering them in ways that would have led him to being fired regardless of whether it was about religion,” professor of First Amendment law Eugene Volokh told the Associated Press, “or whether he was treated worse based on the religiosity of his beliefs.”

According to the Associated Press, Coppedge “is active in the intelligent design sphere and runs a website that interprets scientific discoveries through the lens of intelligent design. His father authored an anti-evolution book and founded a Christian outreach group. He is also a board member for Illustra Media, a company that produces video documentaries examining the scientific evidence for intelligent design. The company produces the videos that Coppedge was handing out to co-workers.”

Despite this background, his lawsuit asserts that he was not attempting to proselytize, but that his attempts to share his beliefs — combined with his support for California’s anti-gay marriage Proposition 8 and his request that the lab’s annual holiday party be relabeled a “Christmas party” — gave him a reputation for being a conservative Christian, and that led to his demotion.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/11/nasa-faces-trial-over-alleged-discrimination-against-intelligent-design-proponent/

Sorry, Charlie. You got fired because you created a hostile work environment, not because you are a christian.

[Shadowflash]

1. - 'examining the scientific evidence for intelligent design'

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Snipe hunt!

[arcane1]

2. "I'm not attempting to proselytize, just handing out DVD's at work to convince people I'm right"

[bongbong]

3. conservatives....

... AKA, professional victims; AKA professional whiners; AKA babies.

[nykym]

4. I find it very disturbing

that he even worked at JPL, It is just so, so ,so inconsistent - a proponent of intelligent design working in the space program?????

[Lawlbringer]

5. I'm going to become a Vacationist

and demand that because of a divine mandate to take Vacation all the time, I should still be paid. Otherwise, I'll sue.

[deacon_sephiroth]

6. wow if he hadn't sued, I would have said it was a joke gone wrong.

Surely I thought as I read it... he's just being the labratory clown.

I mean what could possibly make a group of Nasa techs laugh longer and harder than a WIlliam Lane Craig DVD?

to think... he was serious... wow

[2ndAmForComputers]

7. It's always satisfying to see idiocy take a swift kick to the nether regions.

Especially satisfying when the idiocy in question is creationism.

[rexcat]

8. It would seem that there were multiple complaints...

against this person by the people who worked for/with him. Hopefully if this goes to trial NASA will have enough documentation of the harassment and any discussions with this person and his supervisor(s) regarding his behavior on the job. Personnel at NASA are typically careful and like to document the hell out of everything, especially when it comes to personnel issues.