Bexar County will pay $300,000 to end a federal lawsuit brought by a San Antonio man who says the sheriff’s office yanked his job offer at the county jail after deputies found an altar to La Santa Muerte inside his home. The deal follows months of litigation that included a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission finding and a magistrate judge letting key claims move forward. County commissioners signed off on the settlement at their May 26 meeting.
How the offer was pulled
According to KSAT, Luis Rafael Borges had been offered a detention-officer position in May 2024 and allowed deputies to inspect his Northeast Side home as part of the final screening process. During that visit, deputies photographed a small altar to La Santa Muerte that belongs to his wife, and a recruiting deputy later texted that the disqualification was "apparently by the sheriff for the Santa Muerte," the reporting shows.
Commissioners approve the payout
Bexar County commissioners quietly voted on May 26 to settle the case and authorize a $300,000 payment to Borges, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The paper reported that the amount works out to roughly what it would cost to pay a deputy working in the jail for about four-and-a-half years.
EEOC finding and court progress
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concluded in August 2025 that there was "reasonable cause to believe" the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office denied Borges the job because of his wife's "sincerely held" religious beliefs, according to KSAT. Legal reporting also shows that a magistrate judge rejected the county's attempt to throw out parts of the lawsuit and allowed claims tied to the sheriff to proceed, as reported by Bloomberg Law.
Sheriff's view and county response
In written responses to attorneys, Sheriff Javier Salazar wrote that La Santa Muerte "has been, and can be, a symbol associated with Drug Trafficking Organizations," but acknowledged the figure "has come to be recognized by some who are not part of these organizations," the Express-News reported. The county's civil division chief said officials "continue to deny" that the Sheriff's Office broke the law and described the settlement as a practical business choice to avoid the costs and risks of continuing the litigation.
What La Santa Muerte devotion looks like
Devotion to La Santa Muerte is far from uniform. Scholars say the cult has become a transnational popular movement that includes marginalized people, penitents and others seeking protection or luck, even as some in the criminal underworld adopt its imagery. Academic research in the journal Religions warns against equating all devotees with criminal actors and highlights the saint's ambivalent public image.
Legal implications
The case, tracked in legal databases as Borges v. Bexar County (No. 5:24‑cv‑01233), centers on whether an applicant can be disqualified because a household member practices a disfavored faith. Legal observers note that EEOC findings can bolster a plaintiff's leverage in court and that the docket had already moved past the county's early defenses before this settlement, per legal coverage. (Law360)
Why it matters for the jail
Borges' payout resolves his claim but does little to fix a serious staffing crunch at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, which has been operating with roughly 140–150 open detention positions in recent months, reporting shows. That shortfall has forced heavy overtime spending and makes each hiring decision especially consequential for safety and daily operations. (San Antonio Report)
