Local teacher says religion may have cost him his job

A few times a month, teacher and coach Robert Hudson meets students from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club at Cathedral City High School at a local Pizza Hut.

They break bread–or rather, pizza crust–and reflect on their lives and their religion, but Hudson says these times may come to an end.

He was notified in February that he would be let go at the end of the year before receiving his tenure.

“The only thing I can think of is that I am being harassed about my faith in Jesus Christ,” Hudson says his only conflict with the school was when he was written up for questioning the principal when asked to remove various Christian inspired quotes from his classroom.

“Why do I have to bring my stuff down when there are other people with gay and lesbian paraphernalia, zombie paraphernalia, communism paraphernalia, that to me were not academically based and even if they were expressions of what this district supposedly preaches about tolerance and diversity.”

Along with religious decor, Hudson says he plays Christian music in the classroom.

“The district has made it clear that they want us to stick to a curriculum that they gave me, and in that curriculum there is a section that says we have to teach on religious beliefs, so i definitely believe that is a part of the curriculum.”

When we reached out to Palm Springs Unified School District to comment on why Hudson was being let go, they were unable to comment due to confidentiality laws.

The district did send us a potion of the education code stating, “Instruction about religion shall not promote or denigrate the beliefs or customs of any particular religion or sect, nor should a preference be shown for one religious viewpoint over another.”

Hudson tells us he has also been out of school since December after being diagnosed with a heart condition that had developed during his time working in the district.

He currently has a heart monitor. He thinks it may also have something to do with why he has been let go.

Hudson told us he is still on medical leave and if he is not cleared by his doctor to return to the classroom by next week, then he will lose his salary and his benefits.

He is unsure if he will take legal action but says he has forgiven the district.