Former New England Patriot and SMU running back Craig James is suing Fox Sports for religious discrimination.
The former ESPN, and briefly Fox Sports, employee claims that his firing from Fox was due to comments he made opposing same-sex marriage while running for U.S. Senate. James’ suit was filed in Dallas County Court on Monday.
This case is much bigger than me. It affects every person who holds religious beliefs. I will not let Fox Sports trample my religious liberty. Today, many people have lost their jobs because of their faith. Sadly, countless are afraid to let their bosses know they even have a faith. This is America and I intend to make sure Fox Sports knows they aren’t above the law.
Fox Sports fired James in 2013, only days after recording one episode of a college football show for the network. James maintains that the reason for his ouster were comments he made while campaigning for U.S. Senate in Texas, in which he called homosexuality a choice, and promised that he would “never ride in a gay pride parade.”
This belief appeared to have some validity after the Dallas Morning News published a quote from Fox Sports that said, “We just asked ourselves how Craig’s statements would play in our human resources department. He couldn’t say those things here.”
However, after that Fox issued another statement that made it sound as if James was terminated for an entirely different reason.
At Fox Sports we respect all points of view, and despite reports to the contrary, the decision to no longer use Craig James in our college football coverage was simply because he was not a good fit for Fox Sports,” the spokesperson said. “Mr. James, while both experienced and knowledgeable, is a polarizing figure in the college sports community. Regrettably, the decision to use him was not properly vetted, and as a result he will no longer provide commentary on Fox Sports Southwest’s college football coverage.
It is remarkable how quickly James became too controversial to employ, especially considering their initial excitement about James’ hire. In a statement that was released only days before James’ termination Fox seemed positively giddy:
"On August 30, 2013, Fox Sports Southwest announced that they hired James as an on-air analyst for Fox College Saturday college football. When announcing the hiring of James, Executive Producer Mike Anastassiou said, “We’re excited to add Craig to the FOX Sports Southwest team.” Anastassiou added, “He’s a talented broadcaster who I’ve admired throughout his career. His knowledge of college football and the experience he brings as an analyst will be a tremendous asset to our coverage."
On August 31, James appeared on air with Fox. Only one day later, on September 1, Fox Sports Southwest General Manager Jon Heidtke informed James that Fox Sports fired James because of his religious beliefs about marriage and his expression of those beliefs during the Senate debate.”
No question Craig James has earned his fair share of haters over the years while covering college football. However, James’ status as a “polarizing figure” as the reason for his termination rings hollow, especially considering that Fox also employs Clay Travis. Travis, while also experienced and knowledgeable, is intensely disliked by many and might get more vicious hate mail than anyone else who covers college football.
This lends credence to the idea that while James may be a polarizing figure in the “college sports community,” it may have less to do with his analysis of college football, and much more to do with his analysis of what constitutes marriage.
That is the question at hand. And, as of this morning, that question is now in the hands of the courts.
