A recent CNN article highlights the need for employers to consider employees’ religious accommodation requests. Charee Stanley is a Muslim and a flight attendant for ExpressJet Airlines. As a Muslim, Stanley is prohibited from both drinking alcoholic beverages and serving alcoholic beverages, including serving passengers on flights while working as a flight attendant. At her supervisor’s suggestion, Stanley and another flight attendant arranged for the second flight attendant to serve any alcoholic beverages to any of the airlines passengers. Approximately 3 months later, a third flight attendant complained because Stanley was allegedly not performing all her duties because she was not serving alcohol to passengers. Thereafter, the accommodation was revoked, Stanley was suspended, and Stanley filed a discrimination charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Although the reported facts were a little thin, the article was brief, and the EEOC charge is currently pending, the article nevertheless serves as a reminder for employers that they must consider employees’ religious accommodation requests. A link to the full CNN article can be found here.
