Chaplain Sues Navy for Punishing His Sermons, Prayers, and Whistleblower Speech to President

Former Navy Chaplain Gordon
 James Klingenschmitt 

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- A new lawsuit was just filed (November 2011) for religious liberty against the U.S. Navy in DC Court of Claims, by former Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt and attorney John Wells, and was just assigned to Judge Robert H. Hodges, Jr. in Washington.

Full text PDF of the legal complaint, with over 70 proof documents, can be read here: prayinjesusname.org/invite-speaker. 

The brand new lawsuit alleges 3 violations of religious rights by the federal government:

1. As a Navy Chaplain in 2004, Chaplain Klingenschmitt was unlawfully punished by his ship's commanding officer with a downgraded evaluation because he quoted "exclusive" Bible verses including John 3:36 in the chapel during an optionally attended Saturday Christian memorial service.
    
2. As a whistleblower to Congress and the press in 2005, the Chaplain was also unlawfully punished by his subsequent shore commanding officer with a downgraded evaluation because he wrote to the President and to Congress alleging that senior Naval officers, including then Chief of Naval Chaplains, had violated the Constitution by forbidding public prayers "in Jesus name."
    
3. After the Navy issued a bad prayer policy (that was later rescinded by Congress due to his case), SECNAVINST 1730.7C that required "non-sectarian" prayers (no-Jesus) and narrowly re-defined "public worship" and "religious observance," the chaplain was unlawfully punished at misdemeanor court-martial in 2006, for wearing his uniform while "worshiping in public" and praying "in Jesus name" outside the White House.

He had prior written permission to wear his uniform during any "religious observance," but the judge ruled instead to enforce SECNAVINST 1730.7C, saying he was quote "not engaged in 'public worship,' although he may be worshiping in public." The bad prayer policy was the basis of the "lawfulness" of the order he was found guilty of violating. 

Read the 2006 Navy judge's ruling that he violated a "lawful" order by "worshiping in public" in uniform, see page 3 here:persuade.tv/frenzy6/Klingordrule.pdf 

Congress vindicated the Chaplain and rebuked the Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter by ordering him to rescind the bad prayer policy, which he did rescind on 21 Nov 06, proof here:persuade.tv/Frenzy8/SECNAVrescindsPrayerPolicy.pdf  

He is now requesting full restoration of his 16-year military career, and reinstatement in the Navy as a Chaplain, with four years of back pay and lost pension benefits. 

Chaplain Klingenschmitt said: "As a chaplain I took a stand for the right to pray in Jesus' name, and was I vindicated by Congress, who restored that right for other chaplains, but it was not grandfathered back to my case. Now I'm filing this lawsuit to establish case-law precedent that will, hopefully, stop the domestic enemies of the Constitution from censoring chaplains prayers, or punishing their sermons or whistleblower speech, ever again in the future."

65 other evangelical chaplains continue to sue the Navy for similar problems, here: 
www.christianpost.com/news/navy-chaplains-allege-discrimination-against-evangelicals-54521/