Religious bias complaint filed over store hiring

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By Carla Hinton
Published: August 1, 2008

The Council on American Islamic Relations Oklahoma chapter has filed a religious discrimination complaint on behalf of a Muslim woman who said she was denied employment at a Tulsa store because of her headscarf.
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Thursday Samantha Elaus, 18, of Tulsa said she applied for a job at the Abercrombie children's clothing store in Woodland Hills Mall and was "shocked” when she was told her Islamic headscarf or ‘hijab' "does not fit the company's image.”

Razi Hashmi, the CAIR chapter's executive director, said CAIR filed a complaint on the teen's behalf with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in mid-July, citing religious discrimination.

An employee who answered the phone at the Tulsa Abercrombie store said he had been asked to direct all inquiries about the complaint to a corporate spokesman. A spokesman at the Abercrombie corporate office did not return calls on Thursday.

Also, the EEOC Oklahoma City field office could not be reached for comment Thursday.

What is sought
Hashmi said CAIR is asking that the store offer the applicant a formal apology. He also said the organization wants the store's policy on religious accommodation clarified and workplace sensitivity and diversity training to be implemented for employees there.

He said she was told by Abercrombie store officials that she could not wear black and she accepted that rule, but wanted to wear her hajib, the traditional Islamic headscarf often worn by Muslim women.

"She asked if there would be a problem initially and was told there wouldn't be,” Hashmi said. Elaus said she was told that her hiring was quashed by a leader at the store's district level.

"Being Muslim and wearing a hijab is who I am,” she said. "I've had jobs before and was never not hired because I wear a hijab.”

She said she was hired by another mall store shortly after being rejected by Abercrombie.

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Related Topics: Culture and Lifestyle, Islam, Religion, Business, Jobs and Labor, Worklife, Employment Discrimination


Comments

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C, choctaw - Aug 2, 2008 6:23 PM
• Report: Offensive language
Why don't more white people sue for descrimination. They are the minority anymore. And pretty much the one few of man kind that doesn't run out and get a lawyer everytime makes some stupid remark or suggestion. I blame the courts for allowing such idiocy to be put out there for more stupid lawsuits to come forward. The one I remember most is the lady who sued McDonalds over a "hot" cup of coffee. Good thing they didn't toss that cup of hot jo out the drive thru window at her. She might have deserved that more and the judge, well he should have been terminated for ignorance.
C, choctaw - Aug 2, 2008 6:23 PM
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Every company as the right to set reasonable dress codes. That would include hats, head coverings or scarfs. No where in the Quran does it say women should cover their hair that I can find.

CAIR is an organization linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas by documents found by our fenderal government. Why they get any press is beyond me.
Brandi, Tulsa - Aug 2, 2008 10:20 AM
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I'm sorry, but if I hire an employee I'm not going to allow them to wear a baseball hat, cowboy hat, visor, tank tops, shorts, etc. So why in the hell can't I tell them I don't allow headscarves? It's her choice whether to work there or not!
doug, perry - Aug 1, 2008 6:42 AM
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This isn't the first I've heard about Abercrombie's "image" being sued or tested. Wake up folks! Not everyone is a blond hair, blue eyed model. You can't continue to discriminate against people that aren't. This company must promote idiots.
Jess, Warr Acres - Aug 1, 2008 5:20 AM
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