SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man hired as a detention officer for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office only to have his job offer pulled days before starting the academy will be paid $300,000 as part of a settlement approved by county commissioners.
Luis Borges claimed in federal court filings that BCSO Sheriff Javier Salazar personally pulled the 2024 employment offer after deputies found an altar to La Santa Muerte belonging to Borges’ wife during a home inspection.
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After Borges went through the application process, including passing a background check and completing a polygraph examination, he was informed that summer by a BCSO recruiting deputy that he had been hired and would begin the training academy in two weeks and was even encouraged to put in his two weeks’ notice at work.
Borges, as part of the hiring process, said he then allowed deputies to do an in-home inspection at the residence he shares with his wife, Stephany.
Borges told KSAT deputies during the inspection photographed his wife’s personal altar to La Santa Muerte. He then received a call from BCSO informing him that he had been disqualified from working for the agency.
A recruiting deputy then sent Borges a message that read, “I just called my sergeant, and It (sic) was disapproved apparently by the sheriff for the Santa Muerte. Unfortunately, he has the final decision and it can’t be turned. I’m sorry about that, they honestly didn’t let me know till today so I apologize and wish you the best of luck in everything.”
Millions of followers of La Santa Muerte believe the folk saint aids them in matters of health, fortune and protection from harm.
The saint’s image, however, has also become synonymous with criminal culture and drug cartels.
“There’s always going to be bad apples in every group. There’s always going to be people who take what is supposed to be good and what is true about whatever you’re worshipping and take it to the extremes,” Stephany Borges told KSAT in 2024. “And her image was just something that they took.”
Stephany Borges said BCSO deputies defiled her personal altar by photographing it without her permission.
Luis Borges’ attorney, Mark Anthony Sanchez, told KSAT Thursday the settlement documents will be finalized soon and that his client is “pleased” with the out of court settlement:
As counsel for Mr. Luis Rafael Borges, I have always believed that the freedoms protected by the First Amendment—including the fundamental right to religious liberty and freedom of association—are among the most sacred rights guaranteed by our Constitution. When powerful government officials trample those constitutional protections, they must be held accountable. From the outset of this case, I vigorously defended Mr. Borges and his constitutional right to be free from government punishment based upon religious beliefs or associations. This case was never simply about one employment decision. It was about whether government officials may punish a citizen because of the religious beliefs present within his household. I firmly believed the answer was no. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission conducted its own independent investigation and found reasonable cause to believe that Mr. Borges was denied employment because of his association with his wife’s sincerely held religious beliefs. In addition, the federal court rejected Defendants’ efforts to dismiss the core constitutional claims asserted in this lawsuit and allowed the case to proceed. These developments reinforced my belief in the merits of Mr. Borges’s claims. We are pleased that the parties were able to resolve this matter out of court. The outcome sends an important message: constitutional rights matter, religious liberty matters, and no person—regardless of title, position, or political power—is above the law. Mr. Borges showed tremendous courage in standing up for his rights, and I am proud to have represented him in that effort.
Mark Anthony Sanchez, attorney for Luis Borges
Sanchez previously told KSAT he had offered Salazar and his command staff an hour of free legal training on how to comply with the First Amendment.
Commissioners approved the six-figure settlement near the end of their May 26 meeting, after discussing the lawsuit in executive session.
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office released the following statement Thursday:
To avoid the continued expense, uncertainty, and diversion of public resources associated with ongoing litigation, Bexar County made a business decision to resolve Mr. Borges’ claims through court-ordered mediation. The matter was resolved after the parties accepted a Mediator’s Settlement Proposal. Although the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission previously issued an administrative determination stating that there was reasonable cause to believe that actions taken by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office may have been influenced by Mr. Borges’ association with an individual whose religious beliefs included La Santa Muerte, that determination was a preliminary administrative finding and not a judicial determination of liability. Bexar County continues to deny that any actions taken by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office violated Title VII or any other applicable law. The settlement reflects a practical business decision to resolve disputed claims and avoid the substantial costs, risks, and burdens associated with continued litigation. Bexar County remains committed to providing equal employment opportunities and complying with all applicable federal and state employment laws.
Bexar County District Attorney's Office
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.