David Coppedge, NASA scientist battle religious discrimination case
Supervisors at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory harassed and demoted a high-level computer systems administrator who as a self-described evangelical Christian expressed his belief in intelligent design to co-workers, the plaintiff’s attorney told a judge Tuesday.
David Coppedge maintains he was fired nine months later in retaliation for bringing the suit. Becker said his client was treated different because of his interest in religion.
JPL attorney James Zapp said Coppedge was laid off as part of a staff reduction. He also said Coppedge had trouble getting along with other employees and became defensive when a supervisor tried to instruct him on avoiding confrontations with co-workers.
“The evidence will show that Mr. Coppedge was his own worst enemy because of his inability to listen,” Zapp said.
JPL lawyers contend in their court papers that Coppedge harassed co-workers by forcing them to hear his opinions about intelligent design and Proposition 8, the gay marriage initiative.
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