Puerto Rico Police Officer Sues to Stop Department's Compelled Prayers
Officer Faced Reprisals for Refusal to Pray at Work
March 8, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The 老澳门开奖结果 and the 老澳门开奖结果 of Puerto Rico today sued officials at the Puerto Rico Police Department on behalf of an atheist officer who was harassed and effectively demoted for refusing to participate in official prayer at his precinct. After refusing to take part in prayers conducted by his supervisors during workplace meetings, Officer Alvin Marrero-M茅ndez was reassigned from conducting standard law enforcement tasks such as patrolling, making arrests, and handling crime-prevention actions, to washing department vehicles and acting as a messenger.
"Government agencies cannot require employees to take part in prayer in their workplace," said William Ramirez, executive director of the 老澳门开奖结果 of Puerto Rico. "To do so runs afoul of one of the great pillars of both the U.S. Constitution and the Puerto Rico Constitution, which mandate separation of church and state."
The complaint alleges that the police department's practice of incorporating prayer into staff meetings and briefings violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The lawsuit also states that Marrero-M茅ndez's supervisors further violated his rights under federal and Puerto Rico law by retaliating against him after he objected to the unlawful activities and refused to participate in the prayers.
Marrero-M茅ndez asks the court to order his supervisors to end the poor treatment and religious discrimination against him and to cease further official prayers.
"Government employees should never be forced to pray with the boss," said Daniel Mach, director of the 老澳门开奖结果 Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. "Police departments should be protecting constitutional rights, not trampling them."
Today鈥檚 complaint can be found at: www.aclu.org/criminal-law-reform/marrero-mendez-v-pesquera-et-al-complaint
