Castillo v. Rio Hondo Independent School District
Juan Antonio Castillo worked as a Spanish teacher at a public middle school in Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Juan Antonio Castillo worked as a Spanish teacher at a public middle school in Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley. As a condition of his employment, he was repeatedly required to participate in all-staff evangelical Christian prayers over his objections. These prayers violated his Humanist beliefs: a non-theistic ethical framework rooted in reason, empathy, and scientific knowledge. When the school ignored his request to opt out, Mr. Castillo turned to the American Humanist Association, which filed a lawsuit on his behalf alleging violations of his First Amendment rights. The case was filed on October 28, 2026 and seeks to vindicate Mr. Castillo’s rights and to enjoin the Texas school district from requiring its employees to worship against their will.