In April 2010, David Coppedge sued his employer, Cal Tech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). In March 2011, the suit was amended to include wrongful termination as he was laid off in January of 2011.

In his complaint, Mr. Coppedge describes his activities that he claims were at the center of his problems with JPL:

• discussed Intelligent Design with co-workers
• requested the annual Holiday Party be renamed, “Christmas Party”
• discussed Proposition 8 with co-workers (California constitutional amendment to define marriage to include only heterosexual partners)
• distributed DVDs promoting Intelligent Design to co-workers [“Unlocking the Mystery of Life” and “The Privileged Planet”]

His view is that, although these activities caused no problems and are protected by law, JPL's responses amounted to religious discrimination, harassment, wrongful demotion, and retaliation ultimately resulting in his termination.

Unrelated to this case are items of interest regarding David Coppedge. For one, he has his own website, Creation-Evolution Headlines, where he writes about scientific discoveries and explanations through the glasses of an Intelligent Design adherent. His father, James F. Coppedge, Ph.D. (Theology) wrote an anti-evolution book, Evolution: Possible or Impossible?, and headed a Christian outreach ministry in Southern California.

Attachment	Size
4/14/10: Complaint	211.27 KB
4/15/10: Plaintiff Requests a Different Judge	41.81 KB
6/7/10: First Amended Complaint	1.16 MB
6/30/10: Plaintiff's Objection to the Deposing of Coppedge by the Defendant	68.86 KB
7/23/10: Defendant's Answer to First Amended Complaint	207.25 KB
3/11/11: Second Amended Complaint	1.72 MB
5/2/11: Defendant's Answer to Second Amended Complaint	194.43 KB
5/12/11: Request to Dismiss Charges against Clark Burgess, Kevin Klenk, & Gregory Chin	75.28 KB
6/3/11: JPL's Opposition to Continue Trial Date	242.39 KB
6/3/11: Court Denies Continuance of Trial Date	17.66 KB
6/29/11: Court schedules a Settlement Conference	54.71 KB
7/1/11: JPL's Motion for Summary Judgment	112.33 KB
7/1/11: JPL's Memorandum of Points & Authorities supporting Summary Judgment	806.51 KB
7/1/11: JPL's Statement of Facts Supporting Summary Judgment	1.1 MB
7/28/11: Coppedge requests dismissal of complaint against individuals	54.65 KB
9/2/11: Plaintiff's Objection to Motion for Judgment	594.22 KB
9/2/11: Plaintiff's Objections to JPL's Separate Statement of Facts	1.7 MB
9/2/11: Plaintiff's Objections to Evidence	112 KB
9/2/11: Declaration of Lawrence P. Ball	975.14 KB
9/2/11: Plaintiff's Statement of Additional Disputed Facts	1.82 MB
9/16/11: Trial Date continued to 14 December 2011	107.33 KB
10/11/11: Plaintiff's Supplemental Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment	247.99 KB
10/18/11: Defendant's Response to Plaintiff's Opposition to Summary Judgment	395.58 KB
10/18/11: Supplemental Reply in Support of Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment	264.9 KB
11/18/11: Court Rules for Trial	88.98 KB
11/30/11: Defendant's Order In Limine to Exclude Contention that Research On Origin of Life was a Factor in Plaintiff's Activities	160.59 KB
11/30/11: Defendant's Order in Limine to Exclude Contents of DVD	1.54 MB
11/30/11: Defendant's Order in Limine to Exclude Privileged Consultation between Defendant and Counsel	1.33 MB
11/30/11: Defendant's Order in Limine to Exclude Plaintiff's Opinion of His Job Performance	269.57 KB
11/30/11: Defendant's Order in Limine to Exclude Plaintiff's Opinions of Legal Issues	205.18 KB
11/30/11: Defendant's Order in Limine to Exclude Use of Viewpoint Discrimination	1.15 MB
11/30/11: Defendant's Order in Limine to Exclude or Limit Testimony of David DeWolf	721.84 KB
12/1/11: Declaration of William Becker, Jr.	2.7 MB
12/1/11: Defendant's Order in Limine to Permit use of DVD Content	278.95 KB
12/1/11: Plaiintiff's Proposed Jury Voir Dire Questions	124.66 KB
12/1/11: Plaintiff's Proposed Jury Instruction No. 1: Liability for Descrimination Based upon Perception of Religious Belief	39.27 KB
12/1/11: Plaintiff's Proposed Jury Instructions No. 2: Good Cause to Terminate	33.66 KB
12/1/11: Plaintiff's Proposed Jury Instruction No. 3: Factors Constituting Adverse Employment Action	43.78 KB
12/1/11: Plaintiff's Proposed Jury Instruction No. 4: Types of Evidence Bearing upon Liability for Retaliation	33.55 KB
12/2/11: Joint Stipulation of Trial Rules	171.21 KB
12/2/11: Plaintiff's Trial Brief	475.3 KB
12/2/11: Plaintiff's Proposed Jury Instructions	96.11 KB
12/2/11: Plaintiff's Proposed Short Statement for the Jury	39.43 KB
12/1/11: Plaintiff's Amended Proposed Jury Instructions	96.12 KB
12/2/11: Plaintiff's Amended Proposed Jury Instruction No. 1: Liability for Discrimination Based upon Perception of Religious Belief	43.05 KB
12/14/11: D's Opposition to P's Motion in Limine #1	866.37 KB
12/14/11: P's Opposition to D's Motion in Limine #1	211.7 KB
12/14/11: P's Opposition to D's Motion in Limine #2	320.28 KB
12/14/11: P's Opposition to D's Motion in Limine #3	145.3 KB
12/14/11: P's Opposition to D's Motion in Limine #4	279.45 KB
12/14/11: P's Opposition to D's Motion in Limine #5	324.47 KB
12/14/11: P's Opposition to D's Motion in Limine #6	41.83 KB
12/14/11: P's Opposition to D's Motion in Limine #7	124.02 KB
12/14/11: P's Opposition to D's Motion in Limine #8	92.91 KB
12/14/11: Wm Becker re D's Motion in Limine #1	377.69 KB
12/14/11: Wm Becker re D's Motion in Limine #2	492.53 KB
12/14/11: Wm Becker re D's Motion in Limine #3	336.67 KB
12/14/11: Wm Becker re D's Motion in Limine #4	1.43 MB
12/14/11: Wm Becker re D's Motion in Limine #5	1.76 MB
12/27/11: P's reply to JPL's opposition to P's Motion In Limine 1	256.92 KB
12/27/11: Wm Becker's reply to JPL's opposition to P's Motion In Limine #1	463.69 KB
12/27/11: JPL's reply supporting D's Motion In Limine 1	149.02 KB
12/27/11: JPL's reply supporting D's Motion In Limine 2	3.79 MB
12/27/11: JPL's reply supporting D's Motion In Limine 3	945.68 KB
12/27/11: JPL's reply supporting D's Motion In Limine 4	415.99 KB
12/27/11: JPL's reply supporting D's Motion In Limine 5	642.12 KB
12/27/11: JPL's reply supporting D's Motion In Limine 7	611.42 KB
12/27/11: JPL's reply supporting D's Motion In Limine 8	106.6 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #2 to Exclude mention of Proposition 8	153.85 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #3 to Exclude argument that JPL had right to interfere	124.95 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #4 to Exclude references to Third Parties with an interest in the trial's outcome	112.88 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #5 to Exclude Testimony of JPL's Economist	151.31 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Reply to Opposition to P's Motion in Limine #1 - DVDs	462.6 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Supplemental Declaration Supporting Motion in Limine #1 - DVDs	40.99 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Declaration in Support of Motion in Limine #2 - Exclude references to Proposition 8	234.89 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Declaration in Support of Motion in Limine #3 - Exclude suggestions that JPL had right to interfere	170.14 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Motion In Limine #3 Exhibit - HR Letter	79.79 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Declaration in Support of Motion in Limine #5 - Exclude JPL Economist's Testimony	249.32 KB
1/27/12: Plaintiff's Declaration in Support of Motion in Limine #4 - Exclude references to Third Parties	41.31 KB
2/7/12: Plaintiff's Supplemental Declaration in Support of Motion in Limine #5 to Exclude Testimony of JPL's Economist	108.37 KB
2/9/12: JPL's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #2 to Exclude mention of Proposition 8	1.35 MB
2/9/12: JPL's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #3 to Exclude argument that JPL had right to interfere	1.32 MB
2/9/12: JPL's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #4 to Exclude references to 3rd Parties with an interest in the trial's outcome	649.87 KB
2/9/12: JPL's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #5 to Exclude Testimony of JPL's Economist	1.88 MB
2/15/12: Plaintiff's Reply to JPL's Opposition to P's Motion in Limine #2 to Exclude references to Proposition 8	132.15 KB
2/15/12: Plaintiff's Reply to JPL's Opposition to P's Motion in Limine #3 to Exclude argument that JPL had right to interfere	102.85 KB
2/15/12: Plaintiff's Reply to JPL's Opposition to P's Motion in Limine #4 to Exclude Third Parties	106.47 KB
2/15/12: Plaintiff's Reply to JPL's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #5 to Preclude Economist's Testifying	158.77 KB
2/17/12: JPL's Proposed Jury Instructions	490.57 KB
2/17/12: JPL's Proposed Statement of the Case	67.33 KB
2/23/12: Amended Joint Exhibit List	1.56 MB
2/23/12: Amended Joint Witness List	89.75 KB
3/5/12: JPL's Motion in Limine to Exclude NASA's Guidelines on Religious Exercise	948.31 KB
3/5/12: JPL's Trial Brief	552.53 KB
3/6/12: Second Amended Joint Trial Exhibit List	1.63 MB
3/12/12: Court grants media request subject to conditions	42.01 KB
3/13/12: JPL's Opposition to Plaintiff's Objection to JPL's Representative	68.92 KB
3/13/12: JPL's Request to limit media coverage	120.3 KB
3/13/12: JPL's Supplemental Support of Motion in Limine #3 Excluding mention of NASA and/or JPL's Programs or Research on Origins of Life	108.07 KB
3/14/12: JPL's Brief on the Relevance of Witnesses' Religious Background	413.93 KB
3/14/12: Plaintiff's Opposition to JPL's Request to Limit Media Coverage	151.6 KB
4/4/12: Plaintiff's Motion in Limine 6 to exclude Cumulative & Irrelevant Witnesses	182.75 KB
4/9/12: Plaintiff's Motion in Limine 7 to exclude Employee Performance Ranking Records	173.3 KB
4/9/12: Declaration in support of Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #7	774.29 KB
4/10/12: JPL's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion in Limine #7	997.4 KB
4/10/12: JPL's Objection to Plaintiff's Demand for inspecting and copying documents	857.54 KB
4/26/12: Joint Stipulation to Exclude Evidence and Argument	85.85 KB
5/8/12: Plaintiff's Post-trial Brief	712.48 KB