EEOC Sues Abercrombie & Fitch For Discrimination Against a Muslim

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch alleging religious discrimination.  Abercrombie Kids interviewed Samantha Elauf for a position at its store located in Woodland Hills Mall in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The EEOC alleges that Abercrombie refused to hire Elauf because she was wearing a head covering when she was interviewed and this violated the company’s “Look Policy,” which prohibited the wearing of head coverings.  Elauf had applied for a sales position with Abercrombie Kids.

“The EEOC is committed to eliminating religious discrimination in the workplace” said Webster Smith, acting director of the EEOC’s St. Louis District Office, which is responsible for the agency’s litigation in Oklahoma. “As religious diversity increases in the workplace, companies need to be more vigilant in respecting and balancing employees’ needs to practice their religion, including engaging in religious expression.”