Politics & Government

Federal Suit Filed Against Ellicott City Senior Home

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says a Muslim applicant was not hired because she wore a head scarf.

The U.S. government has filed suit claiming an Ellicott City senior living home refused to hire a Muslim woman because she wore a religious head scarf, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The suit, filed by the EEOC, claims the director of Morningside House of Ellicott City asked Khadijah Salim if she would remove her hijab, a religious head scarf. The suit also claims the director said he had concerns that the hijab would interfere with Salim’s ability to work as a nurse. 

Salim said that the hijab was not an issue during training.

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Ultimately, according to the EEOC, Salim was not hired and Morningside’s inability to accommodate her religious beliefs or practices was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to reasonably accommodate an applicant’s or employee’s religious beliefs or practices.

The EEOC attempted to settle the matter though its conciliation process, according to a statement, but went on to file suit, seeking back wages and compensatory damages for Salim, as well as changes in Morningside’s hiring policies. 

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“We filed this suit to protect the rights of all employees and applicants to earn a living without being forced to violate their religious tenets,” Debra M. Lawrence, regional attorney of the EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office, said in a statement. 

“Making reasonable accommodations to employees’ religious beliefs is not just reasonable, it is required by federal law.”

A phone call to Morningside House was not returned as of publication time.


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