US Supreme Court Considering Hijab Discrimination Case

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on a discrimination claim by a Muslim woman who was rejected for a job at a prominent clothing store because she wore a hijab. Samantha Elauf, was 17 when she applied for a sales job in 2008 at an Abercrombie & Fitch store in the southwestern city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Store officials decided she did not meet the retailer's "appearance and sense of style" criteria. But the retailer said it has since granted religious accommodations to workers, when requested, that allow women to wear hijabs. Following a lawsuit for discrimination, a jury awarded Elauf $20,000, but an appeals court overturned the verdict, concluding Abercrombie was not liable for damages because she never asked for a religious accommodation. The Supreme Court is considering whether prospective employees wanting a religious accommodation must ask for it or whether businesses are obligated to figure out whether one is needed. The Supreme Court is likely to rule in the case by the end of June.



from Voice of America http://ift.tt/1LDEcPH