Nebraska Religious Discrimination Settlement

A religious discrimination case at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln has been settled. The case involved a woman, identified as Jane Doe, who claimed she was dismissed from her job as a youth program director after the university learned that she is a practicing witch. Her lawsuit sought to reinstate her employment, as well compensation for lost wages. The university agreed to settle the suit for $40,000.

Religious discrimination lawsuits occur from time to time, but for some reason this one caught my attention. Perhaps the fact that the subject of the lawsuit was a public university, which typically might be expected to represent tolerance for uncommon personal practices, that grabbed my attention. At any rate, the story might be useful for illustrating to students that religions can play an important role in marking social boundaries, etc.