Current:Home > ScamsFederal agency sues Chipotle after a Kansas manager allegedly ripped off an employee’s hijab -Golden Summit Finance
Federal agency sues Chipotle after a Kansas manager allegedly ripped off an employee’s hijab
View
Date:2025-04-12 01:01:36
A federal agency has sued the restaurant chain Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation after a manager at a Kansas location forcibly removed an employee’s hijab, a headscarf worn by some Muslim women.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged that in 2021, an assistant manager at a Chipotle in Lenexa, Kansas, repeatedly harassed the employee by asking her to show him her hair, despite her refusal. After several weeks, the harassment culminated in him grabbing and partially removing her hijab, according to the complaint.
The manager’s “offensive and incessant requests” that she remove her hijab, and his attempt to physically take it off, were “unwelcome, intentional, severe, based on religion, and created a hostile working environment based on religion,” the complaint alleged.
Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, Laurie Schalow, said the company encourages employees to report concerns, including through an anonymous hotline.
“We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind and we have terminated the employee in question,” she said in an emailed statement.
The harassment began in July 2021, when the manager began asking the employee, who was 19 at the time, to remove her hijab because he wanted to see her hair. According to the complaint, he demanded to see her hair at least 10 times over the course of one month. She refused on every occasion, saying she wore it because of her religious beliefs.
The employee complained to another supervisor that the incidents made her uncomfortable, but no further action was taken against the manager, the complaint said. One night during closing in August 2021, the manager allegedly reached out and pulled her hijab partially off her head.
The following day, the employee gave her two weeks’ notice. Chipotle didn’t schedule her for any shifts during those two weeks even though other non-Muslim employees who submitted their notice continued to be scheduled for work during that time, the complaint alleged.
The lawsuit claims that Chipotle violated federal civil rights law protecting employees and job applicants from discrimination based on religion, race, ethnicity, sex and national origin.
In its suit, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said it wants Chipotle to institute policies that provide equal employment opportunities for employees of all religions and pay damages to the employee.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- 2 killed, 3 injured during shootings at separate Houston-area birthday parties
- How will Inter Miami fare without Messi vs. NYCFC? The latest on Messi, live updates
- NC State guard Aziaha James makes second chance at Final Four count - by ringing up 3s
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Connecticut blitzes Illinois and continues March Madness domination with trip to Final Four
- Inside Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham and More Stars' Easter 2024 Celebrations
- Riley Strain's Tragic Death: Every Twist in the Search for Answers
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- What U.S. consumers should know about the health supplement linked to 5 deaths in Japan
Ranking
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- 13-year-old girl detained after shooting sends Minnesota boy to the hospital
- California set to hike wages for fast-food workers to industry-leading $20 per hour
- 2024 men's NCAA Tournament expert picks: Predictions for Saturday's Elite Eight games
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Gmail revolutionized email 20 years ago. People thought it was Google’s April Fool’s Day joke
- Late Football Star Spencer Webb's Son Spider Celebrates His First Birthday
- Jared McCain shuts out critiques of nails and TikTok and delivers for Duke in March Madness
Recommendation
Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
Brittany Mahomes Appears Makeup-Free as She Holds Both Kids Sterling and Bronze in Sweet Photo
South Carolina's biggest strength is its ability to steal opponents' souls
'She's put us all on a platform': Black country artists on Beyoncé's new album open up
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
Untangling Everything Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright Have Said About Their Breakup
Kansas lawmakers race to solve big fiscal issues before their spring break
I'm a trans man. We don't have a secret agenda – we're just asking you to let us live.