SAN DIEGO — Claudia Hernandez worked as an administrator at San Diego State University for four years before she was fired last December. She is now suing the university for wrongful termination because of her religion, Santeria.

CBS 8 spoke with her attorney, Kiersten Yamamoto.

“I don’t think it’s so much a matter of religious practices, but rather an employer’s obligation to respect and protect the rights of employees who sincerely hold a belief,” Yamamoto said.

Santeria is an Afro-Cuban religion rooted in the practices of the Yoruba people with some elements of Catholicism.

The lawsuit says Hernandez’s colleagues began accusing her of practicing witchcraft around January of last year. She was informed that a request had been made to remove her as senior supervisor.

Complaints filed by colleagues allegedly suggested that her religious practices were intimidating and that she was favored by her supervisor because they had a romantic relationship, which Hernandez said was untrue.

The complaints launched an investigation into the relationship between Hernandez and her supervisor. The documents state that because of the stress at work, she performed a religious Santeria ritual designed to promote happiness.

To perform the ritual, she had to carry dead baby chickens and leave them at the site. She brought the chickens to campus in a paper bag and had them picked up in the trash.

The chickens were found on campus, sparking a further investigation that ultimately led to their dismissal.

“The termination was because she brought the baby chickens to work, and that is a religious practice that she sincerely cares about,” Yamamoto said.

Hernandez is suing SDSU, the California State Universities Board of Trustees and several former employees.

In a statement to CBS 8, an SDSU spokesperson said:

“We promote a welcoming, inclusive environment for all faculty, students and staff and respect individual religions. No one, regardless of religion, is permitted to dump dead animals on campus property.”