A Las Vegas man is suing his employer, alleging he was mocked and harassed because of his Christian faith.
Anthony Spor-Orellana, a heavy equipment operator, said he was subjected to "persistent religious harassment", including comments from a coworker claiming the Bible was fictional.
According to a lawsuit filed June 4, an unnamed colleague mocked Spor-Orellana's cross necklace and said the Bible is "stupid" and that believers have been deceived by “fairy tales".
The complaint also alleges that a Jesus figurine kept on Spor-Orellana's vehicle "had been mutilated, with its hands and eyes cut off and apparent stab wounds inflicted upon it", The Independent reports.
"Mr. Spor-Orellana reported the vandalism to his foreman, who acknowledged it but took no meaningful corrective action."
Spor-Orellana began working for Las Vegas Paving in December 2022, according to the complaint. The lawsuit alleges tensions escalated after he and the coworker nearly collided while operating vehicles at work.
“Mr. Spor-Orellana filed a formal workplace safety complaint regarding the incident,” the complaint states. “Las Vegas Paving took no meaningful corrective action, and the coworker remained employed.”
According to the lawsuit, Spor-Orellana was fired three days later on “a false and pretextual basis".
“In reality, Las Vegas Paving wrongfully terminated Mr. Spor-Orellana in discrimination based on his religion and disability,” the complaint alleges, adding that he had been “subjected to slurs, insults, jokes, other verbal comments, and/or intimidation” while at work.
Religious freedom disputes in the workplace have emerged in a variety of contexts. Earlier this year, a Christian employee at the Los Angeles Department of Public Works sued after being denied a request to work remotely during Pride Month.
In a separate case, two North Carolina employees sued in 2022 after they were dismissed for refusing to participate in mandatory workplace prayer meetings.
