ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a lawsuit June 19 against Blue Moon Diner LLC for allegedly committing religious discrimination against a female employee who is Muslim.
"We will vigorously prosecute cases of religious discrimination throughout our district, including claims that involve the employer's refusal to provide reasonable accommodation for an employee's religious beliefs," Mary Jo O'Neill, regional attorney of the EEOC's Phoenix District Office, said in a statement. "We are particularly concerned when the accommodation requested is easy to provide and the employer appears to have reacted to myths or stereotypes about a religion."
According to allegations, Samantha Bandy was an employee at Blue Moon Diner. Bandy, who is Muslim, purportedly requested to wear a hijab while working, but Blue Moon denied her request and eventually terminated her employment.
"We will not tolerate discrimination against employees who simply request the right to work with reasonable accommodation of their religion,” EEOC District Director Elizabeth Cadle said in a statement.
The EEOC's Phoenix District Office oversees agency operations in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.