A taekwondo practitioner in Georgia has found himself at the center of a religious discrimination controversy after being expelled from his martial arts academy over his spiritual practices.
The student was informed via text message that he was no longer welcome at the training facility after his instructor learned he maintained a shrine to Lucifer in his home and practiced witchcraft.
The dismissal came despite Josue having been a regular participant who helped clean the facility in exchange for reduced class fees.
“Hey Josue, it’s Mr. [redacted]” the instructor’s message read.
“It’s come to my knowledge that you are no longer with [redacted] due to devil worship. We hate to do this, but we simply can’t support someone who is freely worshipping Satan, so as of now you are not welcome to train or clean at [redacted] Martial Arts Center.”
When Josue asked if he could continue training as a paying student, the instructor refused.
“Unfortunately not. The money isn’t the issue right now. It’s the fact that you are worshipping Satan. So, unless that changes, you are not allowed to train here. I’m sorry, but we feel pretty strong about this,”
The chain of events began when an apartment inspector conducting a routine annual visit observed Josue’s religious altar and occult materials in his residence.
Rather than maintaining professional discretion, the inspector reportedly shared what she witnessed with others in the community, sparking rumors that quickly spread through Josue’s social circles.
Someone within that network who also attended the martial arts classes brought the information to the instructor’s attention, leading to the expulsion.
The situation has escalated to the point where Josue reports he must relocate from his current residence within two months.
Adding complexity to the situation, Josue regularly wore a pentagram necklace to classes without incident.
“What’s funny is I would go to my martial arts class with my pentagram necklace on all the time as I never leave my house without it, and no one ever batted an eye,”
he noted in online discussions about the incident.
The academy staff later objected to the necklace, claiming it reflected poorly on their business.
Josue attempted to explain the symbol’s historical Christian associations, pointing out that early Christian communities used the pentagram to represent the five wounds of Christ, and that the planet Venus, which Jesus identified himself with as “the morning star” in Revelation, traces a pentagram pattern across the sky every eight years.
“I tried explaining that to them but they wouldn’t listen,” Josue said.
He described his pentagram as blessed and consecrated for protection, noting its ancient use as a safeguard against malevolent forces.
The academy in question offers classes for children and markets itself with family-oriented values, which may have influenced the administration’s decision.
But it does not end there as a recent post made by Josue on reddit explains.
“I decided that maybe it is a good idea for me to report this school for religious discrimination and file a complaint, though I’m not even 100% sure if anyone is going to really do anything about it. “his post read
The post was accompanied by 2 photos. One of which was a screen shot of the confirmation that he has filed a report with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division and the other a screen shot of the complaint itself which stated the following.
“Last Week in December 5th 2025. Jose Castro, the owner and chief instructor of this martial arts school sent me a text notifying me that someone who knows me and is also in their martial arts class had told them that I have an altar to a deity in my bedroom and that I am now being accused by others of devil worship and worshipping Satan.”
“They outright said to me because I “worship Satan” that I am no longer allowed to attend their taekwondo classes simply because it goes against their personal religious beliefs”
“I have the screenshots of the texts they sent me as evidence of all this.”
“I do practice witchcraft and have an altar to a specific deity, but I am not even a Satanist nor do I worship the devil but I am being accused of this and being discriminated against because of this.”
The incident has raised questions about religious freedom and discrimination in commercial spaces, particularly when private spiritual practices that don’t interfere with training become grounds for exclusion.
The broader martial arts community has long attracted practitioners from diverse backgrounds, with some training facilities functioning as tight-knit communities where shared values extend beyond physical technique.
This sense of belonging and common identity can be a strength, but also creates scenarios where ideological conformity becomes an unstated expectation.
