A former NASA employee who was fired last year is suing the space agency, claiming he was let go because he believes in intelligent design, according to news reports.
The employee, David Coppedge, was a computer specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and served as team leader for the Cassini orbiter mission around Saturn. He was demoted in 2009, and eventually lost his job in 2011, after 15 years of working on the mission.
"In an emailed statement, JPL dismissed Coppedge's claims," the Associated Press reported. "In court papers, lawyers for the California Institute of Technology, which manages JPL for NASA, said Coppedge received a written warning because his co-workers complained of harassment."
Proponents of intelligent design, such as the Christian civil rights group The Alliance Defense Fund and the Discovery Institute, are supporting Coppedge's case.
"Coppedge's attorney, William Becker, contends his client was singled out by his bosses because they perceived his belief in intelligent design to be religious," the AP reported. "Coppedge had a reputation around JPL as an evangelical Christian, and interactions with co-workers led some to label him as a Christian conservative, Becker said."
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