High Court declines to hear religious bias case – Brief Article
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a Muslim woman who claimed her supervisor discriminated against her by pressuring her to stop wearing a head scarf at her airport job. The decision on October 1 marked the third court victory for Alamo Rent-A-Car Inc., which had employed Zeinab Ali, the Associated Press reported.
Ali said she was told in 1996 to stop wearing the scarf or face transfer to a different position that had less customer interaction. She replaced the traditional scarf with a smaller hair covering but continued to complain to superiors, her lawyer said. She was later fired during cutbacks at the rental car company.
Ali sued the company, claiming it had violated her civil rights. Alamo argued that her firing was legal and not related to religious matters. The case was dismissed by a judge and that dismissal was upheld by an appellate court.
The case involving Alamo and Ali predated the September 11 terrorist attacks. Since that time, many Muslims have complained that they have been harassed or received worse treatment because of their appearance or dress.–RNS
COPYRIGHT 2001 The Christian Century Foundation
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group
