AUSTIN, TEXAS–The case of fired former-Fox Sports broadcaster Craig James is now under investigation by the State of Texas.
The Texas Workforce Commission is launching an investigation into whether James suffered from religious discrimination when he was fired shortly after he said in a televised debate he supports traditional marriage.
The state agency, which which has authority over such employment matters in the Lone Star State, issued a “charge” document announcing its inquiry Thursday.
Previously, Fox Sports President Eric Shanks admitted in a court deposition that a senior vice president at the network anonymously told the media that James was fired for his religious views, although Shanks denied that was actually the reason.
Additionally, emails obtained by Breitbart News show James’ remarks about traditional marriage were a topic of significant conversation in the 48 hours immediately before he was fired.
“The Texas Workforce Commission issuing a charge of discrimination against Fox Sports Southwest and conducting an investigation is a serious step toward holding Fox Sports accountable for violating the law and religious liberty on Craig James,” said Hiram Sasser, the Liberty Institute’s Managing Director for Strategic Litigation.
Breitbart News was the first media outlet to report when James filed a legal complaint against Fox Sports. As explained in detail in that report, when James was a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2012, he had been asked during a televised debate about his views on marriage, to which he responded that he believes marriage exclusively to be one man with one woman. That view is dictated by his Christian faith, and is a provision in the Texas Constitution.
Fox Sports fired James from his job as an on-air sports analyst days after this was brought to the network’s attention in 2013.
Ken Klukowski is senior legal analyst for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @kenklukowski.
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