Madeline Kirksey and Akesha Wyatt, who both work at the Children’s Lighthouse Learning Center in Houston, Texas, said during a press conference on Tuesday, November 10 that they were terminated from their posts earlier this month because they did not follow the wishes of the parents of a six-year-old girl who goes to that particular daycare for that child to be identified as a transgender boy.
Kirksey and Wyatt said that they have already lodged a federal complaint against their former employer, claiming that by firing them, their employer had committed a violation against their religious liberties as Christians.
Children’s Lighthouse Learning Center spokesman Jamie Izaks, in a different interview on Wednesday, November 11, said that he is not at liberty to discuss employment matters on a public scale but added that the company holds that the pair did not suffer a violation of their religious liberties.
Employment issues can be extremely contentious and complex, and our Austin employment lawyers at The Melton Law Firm are here to help you if you believe that your rights have been violated in any way. Contact us today at (512) 330-0017 to learn more.
Earlier this month, the United States Supreme Court found in favor of Samantha Elauf who filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against retail company Abercrombie & Fitch for not hiring her when she was 17 because she wore a hijab, a traditional headscarf worn by Muslim women.
In the ruling penned by Justice Antonin Scalia, it was noted that “an employer may not make an applicant’s religious practice, confirmed or otherwise, a factor in employment decisions.”
Elauf applied at the company’s Tulsa, Oklahoma branch as a kid’s store sales person in 2008. Documentation revealed that she received consistently high marks during her interviews, but the regional Abercrombie manager recommended that she be downgraded for not ascribing to “a classic East Coast collegiate style of clothing.”
There are a lot of ways in which an employer or a prospective employer can willfully or unintentionally violate the rights of his or her employees. If you feel like your rights as an employee have been violated, contact the Austin discrimination attorneys of The Melton Law Firm today by calling (512) 330-0017.
Although the United States Supreme Court has yet to give its final ruling over a workplace discrimination case disputing religious freedoms, the group so far appears to be agreeing with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission during the oral arguments that took place on February 25, the Hill reported.
The plaintiff is Samantha Elauf, a practicing Muslim who claims she was denied employment as a worker at an Abercrombie & Fitch Kids store in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2008 because at the time of her application, she had donned a black headscarf called a “hijab,” which Abercrombie says is not in accordance with their “look policy.”
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the prospective employer should ask the potential employee if he or she has a problem with the look policy – not immediately dismiss them or refuse them the opportunity for employment.
The EEOC argued that Abercrombie’s refusal to accommodate Elauf’s religious beliefs was in violation of the Civil Rights Act, specifically Title VII.
New Albany, Ohio-based Abercrombie, on the other hand, was of the opinion that Elauf failed to inform the hiring managers of the conflicting interest and that letting her stay in the company would saddle the company with an undue burden.
The case was lifted to the Supreme Court after the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Abercrombie. Prior to that, a federal district court sided with the EEOC.
Contact our attorneys today at The Melton Law Firm by calling (512) 330-0017 if you have an employment issue in Austin or other areas in Texas that you need our legal help with.
Rio Grande Valley, Texas resident and veteran truck driver Ramiro Olivarez claimed he was fired from his position as a truck driver by his employer, Falfurrias-based On Point Services, for repeatedly writing “Jesus” as the name of his co-pilot, the Daily Mail reported on February 14.
The company uses this paperwork to validate performance records. Olivarez said that he was not asked to stop doing this prior to dismissal. Olivarez, who has written “Jesus” in as his co-pilot for his entire career, asserted that he would have complied with his employer’s order to stop doing this if any order had been given.
Olivarez’s termination papers said he broke federal and state laws by repeatedly using the name “Jesus” as the name of his co-pilot. Olivarez was also accused of submitting incomplete documentation and falsifying legal documents.
If you have been the subject of a wrongful termination by your employer in Austin or other areas in Texas, get in touch with our attorneys at The Melton Law Firm by calling our offices today at (512) 330-0017 to learn how we may advocate on your behalf.
The United States Supreme Court will be hearing a religious discrimination case against retailer Abercrombie & Fitch next term, Texas Public Radio reported on October 2.
According to Bloomberg, 17-year-old Samantha Elauf applied for a sales job at an Abercrombie store in 2008. Although the assistant manager scored her style points high enough to be hired, the manager’s supervisor claimed that the head scarf did not meet Abercrombie’s look policy, and Elauf was not hired.
A district court ruled that Elauf was discriminated against, but an appeals court reversed that decision. This is not the first religious discrimination case that Abercrombie & Fitch has faced. In 2013, the company fired an employee who wore a hijab and allegedly did not adequately conform to the store’s style policy.
If your employer has engaged in any discriminatory behavior towards you in Austin, the experienced employment law attorneys at the The Melton Law Firm may help you fight back. Call our offices at (512) 330-0017 today to learn more.
