A majority of U.S. Supreme Court justices are supporting an argument that Abercrombie And Fitch discriminated against a Muslim teenage girl
Samantha Elauf, a Muslim 17 year old is accusing major clothing retailer Abercrobie And Fitch of not hiring her simply because she wore a black “hijab”, or head scarf, during an interview nearly seven years ago. Elauf argues that she was denied the job because her headscarf conflicted with the company’s dress code.
Elauf was initially awarded $20,000 in damages by a lower court. This week questions from some of the Supreme Court justices were in favor of Ms. Elauf, but their final decision won’t be made until May.
The major fashion chain has since changed its policy on headscarves, but continues to fight the case in court. Abercrombie disputes the allegation, arguing Elauf did not ask specifically for a religious exemption.
In a statement on Wednesday, the firm for Abercrombie said it has a…
Longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion….has granted numerous religious accommodations when requested, including hijabs.”
U.S. law requires that employers must “reasonably accommodate” an employee’s religious beliefs, as long as it does not provide an undue hardship to the business. In this case the U.S. high court seeks to answer the question of whether a prospective employee must explicitly ask for a religious exemption.
-Infinite Wiz(@infinitewiz)
