{"id":177668,"date":"2025-08-26T18:14:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T18:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/177668\/"},"modified":"2025-08-26T18:14:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T18:14:13","slug":"la-santa-muerte-discrimination-lawsuit-against-bcso-moves-forward-after-eeoc-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/177668\/","title":{"rendered":"La Santa Muerte discrimination lawsuit against BCSO moves forward after EEOC ruling"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 The federal agency that investigates workplace discrimination claims dealt a blow to the Bexar County Sheriff\u2019s Office last week when it determined it had reasonable cause to believe a San Antonio man was denied a position as a detention officer because of his wife\u2019s religious beliefs.<\/p>\n

The Aug. 19 determination from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) comes more than a year after Luis Borges<\/a> said his employment offer from BCSO was pulled following an inspection of his residence.<\/p>\n

KSAT Investigates<\/p>\n

Hard-hitting journalism from the KSAT Investigates team delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n

During that search in Summer 2024, deputies found and later photographed his wife\u2019s personal altar to La Santa Muerte<\/a>, according to a federal lawsuit filed by Borges late last year.<\/p>\n

Borges then received a call that his offer of employment had been pulled, according to the suit.<\/p>\n

Job offer pulled 2 days before Borges was scheduled to start academy<\/p>\n

Borges, a New York native who grew up in Puerto Rico, said he attended a BCSO career fair in May 2024 and began the application process.<\/p>\n

After Borges finished the steps, including passing a background check and completing a polygraph examination, he was informed in early June 2024 by a BCSO recruiting deputy that he had been hired and would begin the training academy in two weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease consider putting in your 2 weeks\u2019 notice if needed,\u201d BCSO Deputy Heather Gonzalez wrote.<\/p>\n

Borges, as part of the hiring process, said he then allowed deputies to do an in-home inspection a day later at the residence he shares with his wife, Stephany.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom my understanding, to verify whomever they are employing, they\u2019re not using a wrong address,\u201d Luis Borges told KSAT last year.<\/p>\n

On June 15, 2024, two days before Borges was scheduled to begin the academy, he received a call from BCSO informing him he had been disqualified from working for the agency.<\/p>\n

The following day, a recruiting deputy sent Borges a message that read, \u201cI just called my sergeant, and It (sic) was disapproved apparently by the sheriff for the Santa Muerte. Unfortunately, he has the final decision and it can\u2019t be turned. I\u2019m sorry about that, they honestly didn\u2019t let me know till today so I apologize and wish you the best of luck in everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephany Borges told KSAT last year her connection to La Santa Muerte goes back decades.<\/p>\n

Millions of followers of La Santa Muerte believe she aids them in matters of health, fortune and protection from harm.<\/p>\n

The saint\u2019s image, however, has also become synonymous with criminal culture and drug cartels.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always going to be bad apples in every group. There\u2019s always going to be people who take what is supposed to be good and what is true about whatever you\u2019re worshipping and take it to the extremes,\u201d Stephany Borges told KSAT last year. \u201cAnd her image was just something that they took.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephany Borges said BCSO deputies defiled her personal altar by photographing it without her permission.<\/p>\n

Judge dismisses some claims from Borges\u2019 suit<\/p>\n

A federal magistrate judge on Monday dismissed portions of Borges\u2019 suit related to claims that deputies were not trained or disciplined properly, court records show.<\/p>\n

Claims against Sheriff Javier Salazar, however, were allowed to move forward, records show.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis ruling vindicates what I have said all along: Sheriff Salazar used his final authority to punish a hard-working Texan family for their sincere faith – I won\u2019t let that stand unchallenged,\u201d said Borges\u2019 attorney Mark Anthony Sanchez in a written statement.<\/p>\n

A BCSO spokesman declined to comment Monday and referred KSAT\u2019s inquiry to the Bexar County District Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n

A DA spokesperson declined to comment Tuesday, citing the pending litigation.<\/p>\n

EEOC reasonable cause determinations are infrequently issued and typically bolster the claims of plaintiffs who have filed suit against their employers alleging discrimination. <\/p>\n

Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More related KSAT Investigates coverage of this story: <\/b><\/p>\n