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Abercrombie & Fitch: Job Seekers Must Explain Faith To Win Anti-Discrimination Protection
Charisma News ^ | 12/13/2014 | Michael Rudin

Posted on 12/13/2014 10:07:40 AM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist

In the closely watched Supreme Court case, EEOC v. Abercrombie, the Becket Fund a brief debunking Abercrombie's claim that a Muslim job applicant should have explained during her job interview that she was wearing a headscarf for religious reasons in order to be protected by anti-discrimination laws.

"Abercrombie's claim is both an absurd and dangerous precedent for all people of faith seeking employment," said Eric Baxter, Senior Counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. "Justice may be blind, but that doesn't mean employers can cover their eyes. A job applicant does not have to bring a 'Look at me - I am religious' sign to an interview just to keep her civil rights."

The case deals with the employment application of Samantha Elauf, a Muslim girl who was 17 years old when she applied for a job at Abercrombie & Fitch. She knew the company dress codes prohibited hats but had previously hired a Jewish employee who wore a yarmulke, so she never imagined that her headscarf might be an issue. The store manager who interviewed Samantha scored her high enough to be hired, but when the district manager learned about Samantha's headscarf he told the store manager to lower her score so it would appear she was unqualified for the job. Abercrombie is claiming that Samantha was not protected by Title VII's prohibition against religious discrimination because she never explicitly stated that her headscarf was worn for religious reasons.

...

(Excerpt) Read more at charismanews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: becketfund; christianity; discrimination; islam; jews; judaism; muslims; religion
Employer (A): we had no idea that this Jewish man wore a yarmulke for religious reasons when we declined to hire him over company/individual establishment dress codes prohibiting the wearing of hats.

Employer (B): we had no idea that this Muslim woman wore a headscarf for religious reasons when we declined to hire her over company/individual establishment dress codes prohibiting the wearing of hats.

1 posted on 12/13/2014 10:07:41 AM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

“...when the district manager learned about Samantha’s headscarf he told the store manager to lower her score so it would appear she was unqualified for the job...”

Stupid, stupid move.


2 posted on 12/13/2014 10:11:01 AM PST by JoeDetweiler
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist; All
that can work against many people, regardless of faith.
3 posted on 12/13/2014 10:11:01 AM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

Put her on the sales floor with that costume and sales will immediately drop in half. They are in a no-win situation.


4 posted on 12/13/2014 10:11:10 AM PST by BobL (I'm so old, I can remember when most hate crimes were committed by whites - Thomas Sowell, 2014)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

Abercromie is disgusting in other ways, nekked men parading around the store, satanic music yech, I despise that place.


5 posted on 12/13/2014 10:11:11 AM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: BobL

It depends what region of the U.S. you are in.

In some areas of the U.S. many people would have no problem with it, in other areas they would.

The same could be said about the wearing of crosses around one’s neck. In some areas of the U.S., customers would not like it if they knew a Christian was working there.

As well, in areas of the U.S. there are people who would not like observant Jews being observant of their religion in their place of employment.


6 posted on 12/13/2014 10:16:20 AM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: yldstrk

I went into an A&F store quite a while back, but I never heard any “satanic music” in there. I would concur with you though about the general atmosphere of the place, although I never saw any “necked” men in there

My opinion: the place reeked of hedonism...

As a side note: I remember a talk that I had with a person who used to go to the same church that I went to who objected to the music at the church, saying that it was too contemporary for her.

She said “If it sounds like rock music, it’s rock music.”

I retorted to the effect of: “If there are southern gospel songs and church music book selections in church that sound like saloon music, it must be saloon music.”


7 posted on 12/13/2014 10:21:54 AM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

I told them if they don’t turn up the heat and turn down the music and give me a bag without nudity on it, they have seen the last dollar they will ever see from me. The problem is, they offend the moms of the teens who shop there. Well I have the power of the purse and that place ain’t getting one more penny from me. Neither is Tom Cruise or Jay Z who now has a men’s cologne out.


8 posted on 12/13/2014 10:31:18 AM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: yldstrk

Did you notice the cologne in the air that was almost overpowering?

I have been surprised at seeing A&F clothing being worn by kids at 2 churches I attended in the past. Not one word being said by the preacher about it, either.

I guess he knew to keep his mouth shut or the tithes and offerings would take a hit...


9 posted on 12/13/2014 10:38:08 AM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

With me it’s always the awful cologne z smell - makes me choke.


10 posted on 12/13/2014 11:43:12 AM PST by raybbr (Obamacare needs a death panel.)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

Nonsense, what region of the United States avoids clothing stores because they see a girl with a necklace with a cross on it?


11 posted on 12/13/2014 12:56:19 PM PST by ansel12
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

Not that a person who has a solid understanding of God’s Word would want to work at A & F with its near-porn store graphics.


12 posted on 12/13/2014 1:13:55 PM PST by theBuckwheat
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To: ansel12

Go to the People’s Republic of Boulder Colorado (one place among many), and walk into a shop that sells crystals (even if you are going in there to look at and potentially buy a geode) and see what happens when you have a cross on your neck when you walk in.

You will get “the stare.”


13 posted on 12/14/2014 12:55:36 PM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

What a bizarre example, even if it is true that someone in a new age religion store might look funny at a common cross necklace on a female, something that they see everywhere including parties.

It sure doesn’t support your claim of “In some areas of the U.S., customers would not like it if they knew a Christian was working there.” You also used the word “region” as “areas of the United States.

I haven’t heard of people boycotting stores in regions of America because they learn that a clerk is a Christian, just as most Americans are.


14 posted on 12/14/2014 1:10:31 PM PST by ansel12
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