Milton Quintanilla – March 7, 2022
A Florida teen has filed a discrimination lawsuit against his former school after allegedly being targeted by staff and students because of his Christian faith.
Nicolas Ortiz, who attended Mater Academy from 2018 to January 2022, claims he was mistreated by staff and students for bringing his Bible to school. According to the suit, Ortiz would often read his Bible during his free time to build his faith.
Representing Ortiz is The Dhillon Law Group, which filed a 206-page lawsuit against Mater Academy on Monday.
“Mr. Ortiz is experiencing something that no American should ever have to experience,” the law firm’s managing partner, Harmeet K. Dhillon, said in a statement.
“It’s bad enough that the school has done nothing to stop the bullying from his peers, but have gone as far as joining in on targeting Mr. Ortiz for simply practicing his faith. This blatant violation of his first amendment rights is another example of how extreme so many in our education system have become, and why Dhillon Law Group is coming to Mr. Ortiz’s defense.”
According to The Christian Post, Ortiz was ridiculed and threatened by other students, publicly humiliated after his science teacher called him “ignorant” during class, and more because of his faith.
In September 2021, Ortiz reportedly had his Bible ripped apart by his peers while he was reading it during his free time. When Ortiz reported the incident, he was told by the vice principal to stop bringing the Bible to school altogether.
A month later, Ortiz was suspended for 10 days after he defended himself against a student who allegedly kicked his iPad out of his hands. The aggressor, on the other hand, reportedly never faced disciplinary action.