(WASHINGTON, DC, 2/14/23) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced the filing of a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of a Muslim Southwest Airlines employee who was allegedly wrongfully terminated after being denied legally-mandated religious accommodation.
According to the Charge of Discrimination filed by CAIR, the Muslim worker was employed as a ramp agent for Southwest Airlines at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). The airline allegedly denied him religious accommodation to attend obligatory Friday (jummah) prayer and “terminated his employment exactly one month after his start date because he called off to attend the religious service.”
According to the complaint, “Mr. Mavins asked his manager for an accommodation to swap shifts on Friday and work the afternoon shift to attend jum’uah.” Although an Accommodations representative told Mr. Mavins that his request wouldn’t be an issue, Mr. Mavins’ manager ultimately denied his request. Mr. Mavins used personal absence days to attend the weekly service until he was terminated.
The CAIR complaint concluded by stating: “Southwest denied Mr. Mavins reasonable religious accommodations and terminated his employment as a result of his need for religious accommodations in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act.”
READ THE FULL COMPLAINT.
“Southwest has a duty to provide religious accommodations to its employees,” said CAIR staff attorney Zanah Ghalawanji. “There’s no reason why Southwest Airlines couldn’t accommodate a common request to attend jum’uah.”
She noted that the Washington, D.C.-based civil rights organization offers a booklet, called “An Employer’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” to help employers gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in the workplace.
CAIR: An Employer’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected] CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]