Court Allows Religious Discrimination Claim to Go Forward in Ex-Hamline Prof's Mohammed Images / Islamic Art Controversy

Erica López Prater's contract at Hamline University was canceled after she showed Islamic Art containing images of Mohammed in her World Art class.

The university declined to renew her contract because she showed images of the Prophet Muhammad in class.

A federal judge ruled Friday that Lééérez Prater had a religious discrimination claim to go forward.

Ms. López Prater alleges that statements from three individuals were defamatory.

The Court sympathizes with how difficult it has been for Ms. Lopez Prater to have been the subject of these statements, but that does not make them redressable.

Courts have found terms like "Islamophobic" and "racist," without more, to be nonactionable expressions of opinion.