School Principal Sues Claiming Religious Discrimination After He Promoted Prayer Breakfast

In Santa Barbara, California, an elementary school principal has filed a lawsuit against the Goleta Union School District charging that the district is attempting to fire him because of his evangelical Protestant religious beliefs.  Principal Craig Richter was disciplined and threatened with contract non-renewal after he appeared in a video promoting the 2010 Santa Barbara Community Prayer Breakfast which had a theme of honoring teachers.  The complaint (full text) in Richter v. Goleta Union School District, (CD CA, filed 10/12/2010), claims that the district took action against him on the grounds that his participation in the video violated church-state restrictions by implying district endorsement of the prayer breakfast. The suit charges violation of Title VII, of California's employment discrimination law and of plaintiff's free speech rights. Alliance Defense Fund issued a press release reporting the filing of the lawsuit.