Judge denies TPD captain's amendments to lawsuit

TULSA - A U.S. District Court judge has dismissed a Tulsa Police Department captain's plea to amend a lawsuit filed against the department for violating his rights.

TPD Capt. Paul Fields filed a suit alleging his First Amendment rights were infringed upon after he was suspended for disobeying orders to attend a community event.

In February, Fields refused to attend Law Enforcement Appreciation Day at the Islamic Society of Tulsa.  He was then suspended without pay June 12-25 for his actions.

Upon filing the suit, Fields emailed his supervisors.  In the statement, he said, "I believe this directive to be an unlawful order, as it is in direct conflict with my personal religion's convictions."

Tulsa Chief of Police Chuck Jordan and Deputy Chief Daryl Webster are named as defendants in the case.

Fields' original filing claims Jordan and Webster, as Fields' supervisors, violated his civil rights under the establishment and free exercise clauses of the First Amendment, which state "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Fields attempted to amend the claim to include a violation of his First Amendment rights to free speech as well as a violation of his rights under the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act, which states that "No governmental entity shall substantially burden a person's free exercise of religion."

The judge ruled that Jordan and Webster's actions in no way inhibited or curtailed Fields from practicing his religion.

Fields' claims under the establishment clause and the free exercise clause remain.