07/25/2011 // San Francisco, California, USA // Keller Grover LLP // Jeffrey Keller
San Mateo, CA (San Francisco Employment Lawyer News) — Abercrombie & Fitch Stores Inc. have yet again been tied to another employment lawsuit, this time accusing the retailer of unscrupulous and discriminating employment practices by suspending an employee for wearing a hijab headscarf at work for religious reasons, as first reported by Law360.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the California employment lawsuit on behalf of a 20-year-old California college student and practicing Muslim, Hani Khan, which accuses Abercrombie of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as other state laws, which prohibit employment and housing discrimination on the basis of religious affiliation.
Khan was hired and worked for four months at the San Mateo, California location of Hollister Co., which is a subsidiary of Abercrombie, before filing the complaint with the EEOC in February 2010, reported San Francisco employment lawyer Jeffrey Keller of Keller Grover LLP.
According to the EEOC complaint, in October 2009, Khan was working in the stockroom of the Hollister store when a manager informed her that if she was going to wear a hijab, she needed to wear one that matched store colors. If she did not, she would be in violation of the store’s “look policy.”
But, months later after adhering to the “look policy,” a visiting district manager allegedly told Khan, after seeing her on the store floor wearing her hijab, to speak with a human resources manager who then requested her to remove the head scarf while she was at work, the California employment lawsuit stated.
Because of Khan’s religious convictions, she declined the request to remove her hijab, which subsequently led to her suspension and dismissal from the company, reported Keller, a Bay Area employment lawyer.
“Abercrombie & Fitch’s alleged employment practices are not only discriminating—they are illegal. Civil rights laws were enacted to protect Americans from enduring discrimination in society and the workplace. If the allegations are true, Abercrombie blatantly violated those rights by requesting Khan to abandon her religious practices,” asserted San Francisco employment lawyer Jeffrey Keller.
“The U.S. was built on the idea that anyone can come to this country and practice their religion of choice freely, without persecution, and for an employer to deny an employee that right is illegal, un-American and discriminating,” explained the Bay Area employment lawyer.
This news story was brought to you by the Bay Area employment lawyers at Keller Grover LLP. If you or someone you love has been a victim of workplace discrimination and harassment based on race, sex, age, disability, or you had your wage and hour rights violated, contacting a knowledgeable San Francisco employment lawyer can help get the justice you deserve.
Media Information:
Address: 1965 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-659-9937
Url: San Francisco employment lawyer | Los Angeles employment attorney