College football | Former TV analyst Craig James files suit against Fox Sports

The former SMU and NFL running back spent less than a week on the Fox Sports payroll in 2013, serving as a studio analyst for the opening Saturday of the college football season before being dismissed the following day.

The lawsuit comes a year and a half after James filed a complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission.

“‘We just asked ourselves how Craig’s statements would play in our human resources department, ‘ a Fox spokesman told the Dallas Morning News. He couldn’t say those things in there”. Sasser said that James was fired after Sports Illustrated magazine contacted Fox about the hiring in light of James’ comment during a primary debate that he opposed gay marriage.

James filed his suit in Dallas County, where he is seeking a jury trial to hear claims against the network that include breach of contract and violations of state law. I will not let Fox Sports trample my religious liberty.

Scott Grogin, senior vice president of communications for Fox Networks Group, said late Monday in a statement sent to The Dallas Morning News that “as we have previously stated, Craig James is a polarizing figure in the college sports community and the decision not to use him in our college football coverage was based on the perception that he abused a previous on-air position to further a personal agenda”.

James, who is being represented by the Plano-based Liberty Institute, maintains that what he said as a political candidate should have no bearing on his role as a football analyst.

James also was involved in a controversy surrounding the dismissal of Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach in December 2009 as part of a dispute involving Leach’s handling of James’ son Adam James, a Texas Tech tight end, after the younger James suffered a concussion. “In so doing, Fox Sports violated the law”. In response to a question from the audience, James said he does not support same sex marriage, and cited his ‘Biblical beliefs.’.

“This case is much bigger than me”, James says in a prepared statement.

“Here’s what I really am fighting for: the freedom for me to continue to believe as I believe, for every player in that locker room who has a belief system to not fear for having that belief system and to feel like they’ve got to be quiet about it and sheltered”.

He also called on Christians to “stand up” and defend the matter, and asserted his belief that “God’s going to judge each one of us in this room for our actions”. After he made just one public appearance on August 31, Fox Sports Southwest suddenly cut him loose. Fox later issued a statement saying James was hired by regional executives and was not “properly vetted”.

“I think that you have to make that choice”, James said.

However, James told