San Diego State University is facing a lawsuit for wrongful termination after a school custodian alleges she was fired for improper disposal of animal corpses on campus, as part of a religious practice.
48-year-old lead custodian Claudia Hernandez was terminated from her position at SDSU on Dec. 28, 2024 after leaving numerous baby chicken corpses in paper bags near trash cans on university property. Hernandez claimed that she performed the religious ritual to bring her good luck, due to recent stress caused by alleged harassment at the hands of her coworkers and superiors.
Hernandez is a practitioner of Santeria, an Afro-Cuban religion involving elements of animal sacrifice and divination. There are between 250,000 and 1 million Santeria devotees in the US alone, and they are not unused to drawing the critical eye of the public due to their unorthodox beliefs.
In the lawsuit, Hernandez alleged that her supervisor, Karina Moreno, enlisted her fellow employees to assist in making false claims against her and publicly mock her religious beliefs. The lawsuit claims that coworkers accused her of practicing witchcraft, theft of university supplies and a romantic affair with her work supervisor, all of which were allegedly falsified in order to defame Hernandez.
The lawsuit against SDSU was filed by Hernandez and her attorneys, Kiersten Yamamoto and Mahru Madjidi of Shegerian Law in December 2024.
Hernandez’s legal team have cited several grievances, including hostile work environment harassment, whistleblower retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. These and many more alleged transgressions are in violation of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), according to Hernandez’s legal team.
The lawsuit is seeking over $35,000 in damages to compensate for emotional suffering endured by Hernandez throughout the course of her employment.
San Diego State University has provided the following statement regarding the matter:
“We foster a welcoming, inclusive environment for all faculty, students and staff and respect individual religions. Regardless of religion, no one is permitted to dispose of dead animals on campus property.”
