A Kent employment agency faces a religious discrimination and retaliation lawsuit for reportedly violating federal law when it rejected a qualified job applicant who asked for religious accommodation to attend Friday prayer, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The EEOC filed the suit Sept. 30 against Logic Staffing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, according to the commission’s Oct. 2 media release.
A Logic Staffing employee at the Sumner headquarters declined to comment about the lawsuit during a brief Oct. 2 phone interview. The company has offices in Kent and Tacoma, with its headquarters in Sumner, according to the Logic Staffing website.
According to the EEOC’s suit, Logic Staffing invited the applicant to interview at its Kent office the day after receiving his online application. On the strength of his application and interview, the staffing supervisor started to explore available openings when the applicant, who is Muslim, disclosed a possible need for a longer mid-day break to attend Friday prayer, according to the media release.
The applicant explained that he might not need additional time if his workplace was close to a mosque, but Logic Staffing’s supervisor ended the interview and noted that the applicant was not hired due to his schedule and need to attend Friday prayer. The EEOC also alleged that Logic Staffing disqualified the applicant from future employment after he asked to confirm that the reason he was not hired was due to his request for a religious accommodation.
The alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits rejecting qualified applicants because of their religion or their need for a religious accommodation, according to the EEOC. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, and injunctive relief designed to prevent such discrimination in the future.
“Title VII requires employers, employment agencies, and unions to make adjustments to the workplace environment to allow applicants and employees to practice their faith, absent undue hardship,” said Elizabeth Cannon, director of the EEOC’s Seattle Field Office. “Instead of exploring alternatives and contacting its business clients to determine if accommodation was possible, Logic Staffing turned away a promising candidate and violated the law.”
Gregory Hitzel, senior EEOC trial attorney, further explained the reason for the suit.
“Workers have the right to request religious accommodation, and should be able to do so without fear that it will cost them job opportunities,” Hitzel said. “The EEOC is here to protect the ability to earn a living while honoring religious observances and practices.”
For more information on religious discrimination, visit eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination. For more information on retaliation, visit eeoc.gov/retaliation.
The EEOC’s Seattle Field Office has jurisdiction over Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.
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