US lawsuit: Nevada worker fired for not accepting Scientology

[webfact]

Lawsuit: Nevada worker fired for not accepting Scientology
MICHELLE RINDELS, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Catholic woman fired from her job at a bottled water company led by a Nevada lawmaker has filed a federal lawsuit against the business, saying she was pressured to watch videos on Scientology and was denied pay raises because of her religious beliefs.

Grecia Echevarria-Hernandez filed a discrimination lawsuit April 26 against Las Vegas-based AffinityLifestyles.com, also known as Real Alkalized Water. Republican Assemblyman Brent Jones is president of the company. His son, Blain Jones, is executive vice president of the company and is running for a Nevada Assembly seat.

"I have not seen the legal documents at this time, so I cannot comment on the alleged claims," Jones said in a statement Tuesday.

The plaintiff said she was hired in March 2015 as a "brand ambassador" for Real Water, which markets water infused with electrons that "can help your body to restore balance, and reach your full potential!" according to the company website.

On her first day, Echevarria-Hernandez said she was forced to watch several videos with religious undertones, including "The Secret" and others based on Scientology.

Her supervisor later told her that she could get a 25-cent raise if she participated in self-betterment courses, and the plaintiff said she tried to sit through one of the classes. But it also had to do with Scientology and made her feel uncomfortable, so she left early.

The plaintiff let her supervisor know she didn't want to participate because she held different religious beliefs — she was baptized Catholic and attends a Christian church. As a result, she was not eligible for raises, according to the lawsuit.

"Plaintiff felt alienated by all of the other employees because they all held the same religious beliefs, and clearly did not approve of her choice to not participate," the complaint said.

Echevarria-Hernandez said that she wasn't previously written up for poor performance, but her supervisor wrote three reports on Oct. 8, 2015, alleging she wasn't fulfilling her job duties. Another person fired her the next day.

"The termination was not based on deficient job performance as defendant claims," the lawsuit says. "In reality, defendant sought a reason to terminate an employee with differing religious views."

Echevarria-Hernandez alleges her treatment violated Nevada law and constituted discrimination, retaliation and an unlawful employment practice under the federal Civil Rights Act, which applies to any business with 15 or more employees. She's seeking compensation for past and future lost income and benefits, unspecified damages for emotional distress, and punitive damages.

No court date has been set.

The case will depend heavily upon the content of the videos and whether they constitute proselytizing, said Ruben Garcia, a professor of labor law at UNLV's Boyd School of Law. It's not illegal to discuss religion in the workplace, but such talk can cross the line when it becomes pervasive or creates a hostile work environment, he said.

To win, the plaintiff would need to prove that she was fired or denied raises based on religion, or that the religious environment in the company hindered her ability to do her job, according to Amy Rose, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. Many employment discrimination cases filed in federal court are settled before they make it to trial because they must go through a mediation step first.

Brent Jones was elected in 2014 and is known for stances against taxes, Common Core education standards and the state health insurance exchange. He's being heavily targeted this year by both Democrats and more moderate Republicans after recruiting a slate of anti-tax candidates to run against incumbent Republicans who supported Gov. Brian Sandoval's $1.4 billion tax package.

Jones has spoken publicly about his belief in Scientology, a religion developed in the 1950s by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard.

It's not the first time Jones and his association with Scientology have been subject to a lawsuit.

A fellow member of the church who had previously suffered brain damage sued Jones and the Church of Scientology years ago, saying he lost money when an ostrich-raising venture Jones ran in California in the 1990s failed. The case was settled out of court, but it emerged again as a campaign attack in a colorful 2012 Republican primary that Jones ultimately lost.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-05-04

[Usernames]

Mormons and Scientology. Nut cults thrive out in the West and California.

[GeorgesAbitbol]

Scientology is one of the worst sect. It is far from a religion and just a way to launder money and avoid tax payment. Even the father of the actual boss is threatened because he wrote a book criticizing the sect and his son.

[Smokin Joe]

Mormons and Scientology. Nut cults thrive out in the West and California.

Big difference between those two.

Mormons are no nuttier than any other religion and on average are much nicer people but Scientologists are lead by evil megalomaniacs.

[Pimay1]

Mormons and Scientology. Nut cults thrive out in the West and California.

Big difference between those two.

Mormons are no nuttier than any other religion and on average are much nicer people but Scientologists are lead by evil megalomaniacs.

One thing the Mormons and Scientology have in common is they were both founded by nut cases.

[stevecm]

"water infused with electrons" :-)) pretty sure last time I checked atoms contained such things

[Steely Dan]

Scientology is right at the sweet spot of pseudoscientific <deleted>.

http://www.relativelyinteresting.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/venn-diagram-of-irrational-nonsense.jpg

Infused electrons my butthole.

[mamypoko]

If Scientology just boils down to tax avoidance, then fine...but all

other religions...come on...aren't we beyond that stuff yet?

(won't play - search: Generation Kill Brad on religion)

Edited May 4, 2016 by mamypoko

[HarrySeaman]

water infused with electrons that "can help your body to restore balance, and reach your full potential!"

Right up there with the claim that drinking water with added oxygen can help you be healthier.

All you have to do to add oxygen to water is bubble a little air through it and a little oxygen dissolves in the water. It might taste a bit better but the water isn't any more healthy than when you filled the glass.

The snake oil salesmen have just changed what they are selling but they are still out there cheating anyone gullible enough to believe them out of their money.

[mesquite]

water infused with electrons that "can help your body to restore balance, and reach your full potential!"

Right up there with the claim that drinking water with added oxygen can help you be healthier.

All you have to do to add oxygen to water is bubble a little air through it and a little oxygen dissolves in the water. It might taste a bit better but the water isn't any more healthy than when you filled the glass.

The snake oil salesmen have just changed what they are selling but they are still out there cheating anyone gullible enough to believe them out of their money.

water

Edited May 4, 2016 by mesquite

[american12bthai]

Mormons and Scientology. Nut cults thrive out in the West and California.

Farangs and pedophiles. apples and oranges. .. I can make misleading comparisons all FKN day.

mormons and scientology are the same thing to you?

one is annoying nice and whats yours is yours -10%, while the other blackmails/extorts and records private conversations and forces recruitment and your property is 100% scientology property, EVEN YOUR CHILDREN.

want to see how the Scientologist work? go to the farmers market and see the slaves they own, you see how they throw money around at all problems, with no clue as to actually solve problems. have you seen them gamble at the Cambodian casino??

Greed and insecurities are their best asset. please, talk to one. but warning, all your conversations are/will be recorded. and with possibility of being labeled... "FAIR GAME" and then blackmailed or extorted.

want to see how the mormons work? go to their church and interrogate one. You wont be followed or blackmailed after.

if your god is money, then scientology is your master.

if you are self reliant or have no god. but enjoy the concepts of Buddhism, then lean towards the Mormons.

i did a 2min google and found this link (http://www.mormonthink.com/glossary/scientology.htm,

and its sources: https://runtu.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/going-clear, http://infantsonthrones.com/going-clear-scientology-vs-mormonism/)

how accurate is something that is written by a scientologist about mormons?

the first link is only 60% accurate. do i really need to see the sub-prime sources?

Soon a LAS VEGAS company will establish the most secure server hosting thingy-ma-bopper here... in thailand. and the ghost in that machine despises corruption.

[Rancid]

With those religious tax breaks never a shortage of con men selling the desperate a stairway to heaven.

[lungmi]

Scientology is one of the worst sect. It is far from a religion and just a way to launder money and avoid tax payment.

Even the father of the actual boss is threatened because he wrote a book criticizing the sect and his son.

and in Thailand we have the Dhammakaya sect

[arunsakda]

The South Park Episode that explained it was great!

"This is what Scientologists actually believe". 555

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ilostmypassword]

Both the Mormonism and Scientology had the misfortune to have been born in a time when literacy was widespread and records were created and kept. So naturally they don't look too savory if you look into their origins. Who knows if lunatics or fraudsters founded Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism and all the rest of the ancient faiths. The texts of the first three certainly do seem to contain lots of obvious lunacy. I don't know enough about the rest to make a judgement.

[GeorgesAbitbol]

Scientology is one of the worst sect. It is far from a religion and just a way to launder money and avoid tax payment.

Even the father of the actual boss is threatened because he wrote a book criticizing the sect and his son.

and in Thailand we have the Dhammakaya sect

Scientology is here too

[wprime]

"water infused with electrons" :-)) pretty sure last time I checked atoms contained such things

And people poopoo'd my idea of selling "luxury" water in Thailand. People will buy anything if it's properly marketed.

[Mudcrab]

Mormons and Scientology. Nut cults thrive out in the West and California.

Farangs and pedophiles. apples and oranges. .. I can make misleading comparisons all FKN day.

mormons and scientology are the same thing to you?

one is annoying nice and whats yours is yours -10%, while the other blackmails/extorts and records private conversations and forces recruitment and your property is 100% scientology property, EVEN YOUR CHILDREN.

want to see how the Scientologist work? go to the farmers market and see the slaves they own, you see how they throw money around at all problems, with no clue as to actually solve problems. have you seen them gamble at the Cambodian casino??

Greed and insecurities are their best asset. please, talk to one. but warning, all your conversations are/will be recorded. and with possibility of being labeled... "FAIR GAME" and then blackmailed or extorted.

want to see how the mormons work? go to their church and interrogate one. You wont be followed or blackmailed after.

if your god is money, then scientology is your master.

if you are self reliant or have no god. but enjoy the concepts of Buddhism, then lean towards the Mormons.

i did a 2min google and found this link (http://www.mormonthink.com/glossary/scientology.htm,

and its sources: https://runtu.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/going-clear, http://infantsonthrones.com/going-clear-scientology-vs-mormonism/)

how accurate is something that is written by a scientologist about mormons?

the first link is only 60% accurate. do i really need to see the sub-prime sources?

Soon a LAS VEGAS company will establish the most secure server hosting thingy-ma-bopper here... in thailand. and the ghost in that machine despises corruption.

I'm sure this post made sense to someone.

[arunsakda]

The most unlikely fantasy and Rubbish an award winning Science Fiction novelist would be hard pressed to invent(Mormonism). Scientology is much much more crazed.

Can't understand why intelligent people go for this stuff but I assume smart people are rational so shame on me.