Plaintiff seeks to have his work published, not only as a means of career advancement, but because his work is a reflection of his religious identity. He believes that part of the character of God is truth, and that by extension, God is the ultimate author of all truth. Thus, making and disseminating scientific discoveries is part and parcel of how he exercises his religion.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Microscope Technician Sues Over Firing For Creationist Research
CBS News reports on a state court lawsuit filed earlier this week by a former electron microscope technician in the Biology Department of California State University Northridge. The complaint (full text) in Armitage v. Board of Trustees of the California State University, (CA Super. Ct., filed July 22, 2014), alleges that plaintiff Mark Armitage was terminated because of hostility to his research findings supporting the theory of creationism. In 2012, Armitage participated in a dinosaur dig in Montana and discovered a large triceratops horn. His microscopic examination of the horn revealed soft tissue, supporting his belief that dinosaurs roamed the planet no earlier than 4000 years ago and that the Earth is young. Alleging religious discrimination and violation of academic freedom rights, Armitage's complaint asserts:
