A lawsuit filed against the Kansas Secretary of State's Office in federal court alleges that Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rucker fired a woman because she would not attend a Christian religious service.
Courtney Canfield, who previously worked as a business-filing specialist at the Secretary of State's Office, alleges that she was fired from her job in 2013 because she did not attend a prayer service.
The complaint, filed in federal court earlier this month, says that Secretary of State Kris Kobach's assistant invited Canfield to attend a service that would held at the Secretary of State's Office by Dave DePue, a minister who serves as unofficial pastor of the Kansas Capitol.
"These invitations were distributed during normal business hours and included a 'prayer guide' to be utilized at that week's service. Despite the repeated invitations, Plaintiff never attended such a service," the lawsuit states. "While Plaintiff was a Methodist, she did not regularly attend church services or otherwise practice any particular religious beliefs in any way."
The complaint says that Rucker was aware of her lack of religious participation.
Kobach called the lawsuit baseless. "Mr. Rucker terminated Ms. Canfield from her position because of her poor performance. The suggestion that Mr. Rucker, or anyone else at the Office of the Secretary of State, monitored employees' church attendance is ridiculous," he said in an e-mail.
Canfield's attorney, Timothy Stipe, said he would not comment because the complaint speaks for itself.
Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said that the allegations in the suit, if true, are "deeply troubling."
"The conduct that she describes in the lawsuit is outrageous. It's clearly illegal and unconstitutional, and I think most people would recognize, simply wrong," Kubic said.
The suit alleges that the assistant secretary of state visited the home of Canfield's grandmother, who worked for the Kansas Republican Party, in November of 2013 and informed her of the plans to terminate Canfield's employment.
"Mr. Rucker repeatedly and emphatically indicated a basis for her termination as the fact that, 'She just doesn't go to church,'" the lawsuit alleges.
Canfield was then officially told three days later, on Nov. 18, 2013, that her employment had been terminated.
She is suing for $75,000 in damages, alleging that she was fired on the basis of her lack of religious participation in violation of the U.S. Civil Rights Act.
Rucker and the office are defendants in the suit.
(c)2015 The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.)
