Written by Don Byrd
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against Star Trucking Company over their refusal to accommodate Muslim drivers’ objection to delivering alcohol. The drivers were ultimately fired rather when, according to the complaint, accommodation would not have provided an undue hardship to the employers. From the EEOC press release:
According to EEOC District Director John P. Rowe, who supervised administrative investigation prior to filing the lawsuit, “Our investigation revealed that Star could have readily avoided assigning these employees to alcohol delivery without any undue hardship, but chose to force the issue despite the employees’ Islamic religion.”
…
John Hendrickson, the EEOC Regional Attorney for the Chicago District Office said, “Everyone has a right to observe his or her religious beliefs, and employers don’t get to pick and choose which religions and which religious practices they will accommodate. If an employer can reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious practice without an undue hardship, then it must do so.
You can read the complaint (pdf) here.
