May 23rd, 2011 11:37 am ET
An article was published May 2, 2011 at The Southeast Texas Record stating that an East Texas resident named Victoria Vaughan had filed suit against the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The suit also named Executive Commissioner Thomas Suehs. In the suit, Vaughan claims that she was fired from her job after her religious beliefs came up in conversation with her immediate supervisor. According to documents, the supervisor allegedly stated that she felt threatened by Vaughan’s religious beliefs and that those beliefs posed a threat to her coworkers. A few days after learning of Vaughan’s beliefs, her supervisor terminated her job as a Texas Works Advisor and wrote in Vaughan’s personnel file that Vaughan had “threatened others with a voodoo curse.” Vaughan stated in the article that her supervisor’s statement was a “mischaracterization of events.”
I was able to contact Vicotria Vaughan, who declined to speak about the case. She did give me permission to speak with her friend and spiritual leader, Priestess Claudia Williams. She also stated, "While I cannot state anything in regards to the case, I can say that I deeply believe that love and kindness are always the best options. I do not intend harm towards any living thing-ever. I have deliberately chosen a peaceful path and try to all the good I can every day. I hold no ill will. I hope that only the highest good for all concerned comes out of any situation in which I am involved. In life, some times we are misunderstood or even hated, but hating or harming others in return does not bring true joy nor is it a desirable path. Honor demands that I stay true to myself and to my sacred path and strive to do all the good that I can.”
Priestess Claudia Williams is an ordained minister in Louisiana. She and her husband lead The Temple of The Altar-Native Star, an eclectic teaching oriented temple, which holds regular Vodou ritals on Saturday nights, and to which Victoria Vaughan is a member. Priestess Cluadia and her husband also own the Starling Magickal Occult Shop.
When asked about Vaughan’s religious standing, Priestess Cluadia stated that Vaughan had been deeply involved in the study/practice of Vodou for at least seven years. “I can tell you that she is very spiritual and primarily practices Vodou. As Vodou allows for the inclusion of energies outside its standard pantheon, she also honors certain Celtic traditions, the beliefs of the Lakota Nation as that is part of her heritage, even Christian Saints. The Saints and Christianity in particular are much revered in Vodou. Many people do not know that.”
She also stated that Vaughan had never mentioned a personal use of Vodou dolls and added, “Having written a book on Vodou dolls myself, I think she'd have mentioned using one if she had.” Priestess Claudia went on to explain that Vodou dolls are “used very rarely in Vodou.” and that, “They make for interesting props in movies and are a big part of the New Orleans souvenir trade. That doesn't mean they are really used all that often. When they are, it is almost always for physical healing.”
When asked about the claim made by Vaughan’s supervisor about the threats, Priestess Claudia states, “ Victoria tells me she never made such a statement, I believe her completely. It is my understanding the general subject of Vodou came up in jovial context at some point during Victoria's employment. She is accused of threatening a co-worker/co-workers with a Vodou "curse." Victoria vehemently denies having said anything even resembling such a thing. In addition, she uses the Vodou vernacular, had she made such a comment, it would have meant she hoped for a problem between two or more parties to be resolved to the benefit of each. Knowing Victoria's ethics, when she tells me she never made any such comment I absolutely believe her.”
Priestess Claudia describes Vaughan as a private person who is not secretive about her beliefs, but is not given to proselytizing. Vaughan, she says, has been quiet in the media both because she is unaccustomed to being in the public eye and for legal reasons, as she and her attorneys wait for a court date. Priestess Claudia finishes up by stating, “Ms. Vaughan is very dedicated to the sanctity of the First Amendment and feels everyone should have the right to practice their religion as they see fit. She respects all life and human rights are sacred to her as a member of the human race and the Vodou community. She is attempting to get justice for having been wrongfully terminated from her job and the problems she subsequently suffered because of that termination. She is also, in a way, defending herself. It has been alleged that she threatened another human being and that is entirely antithetical to her nature and beliefs. She takes everyone's freedom of speech, religion, etc. very seriously. She feels it is essential to stand up for her right to practice her religion in order to find personal justice for the damages she suffered due to this situation. She also hopes her courage will help others stand up and speak out when they too feel wronged, thus eventually having fewer of these cases come to fruition in the first place. This is a hard time for her. She is doing what she believes is the right thing to do under difficult circumstances in order to find justice. I am enormously proud of her and the strength she is demonstrating. It is my hope and expectation that at the appropriate time she will make a public statement and allow people to see first hand the caring, thoughtful, smart, funny, strong, beautiful woman she is.”
Continue reading on Examiner.com Vodou practitioner files lawsuit in Texas over alleged religious discrimination - National Domestic Witchery | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/domestic-witchery-in-national/vodou-practitioner-files-lawsuit-texas-for-religious-discrimination?fb_comment=33499316#ixzz1NVbZQAnw
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