Our mentality sometimes is crazy. if you don't want to serve alcohol then why work in an industy that requires you to?
Charee Stanley, 40, says she was suspended by Express Jet for
refusing to serve alcohol in accordance with her Islamic faith.
According to CNN, she filed a discrimination complaint with the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday
September 2nd for the revocation of a reasonable religious
accommodation.
She wants to do her job without serving alcohol in accordance
with her Islamic faith -- just as she was doing before her
suspension.
"What this case comes down to is no one should have to
choose between their career and religion and it's
incumbent upon employers to provide a safe environment
where employees can feel they can practice their religion
freely," said Lena Masri, an attorney with Michigan chapter
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Charee started working for ExpressJet nearly three years ago.
About two years ago she converted to Islam. This year she learned
her faith prohibits her from not only consuming alcohol but
serving it, too, Masri said. She approached her supervisor on June
1 and was told to work out an arrangement for someone to fulfill
passenger requests for alcohol.
"It was at the direction of the airlines that she began coordinating
with the other flight attendant on duty so that when a passenger
requested alcohol, the other flight attendant would accommodate
that request," Masri said. "We know that this arrangement has
worked beautifully and without incident and that it hasn't caused
any undue burden on the airline. After all, it was the suggestion of
the airline."
It seemed to be working out until another flight attendant filed a
complaint against Stanley on August 2 claiming she was not
fulfilling her duties by refusing to serve alcohol, Masri said. The
employee complaint also said Stanley had a book with "foreign
writings" and wore a headdress.
On August 25, the airline sent a letter to Stanley informing her that
it was revoking its religious accommodation to exclude her from
service of alcohol and placing her on administrative leave.
"They placed her on unpaid leave and they advised her that her
employment may be terminated after 12 months," Masri said. "We
are requesting that her employment be reinstated and the
accommodation of her religious beliefs be reinstated as well."
A spokesman for Express Jet declined to discuss Stanley's
complaint. "At Express Jet, we embrace and respect the values of
all of our team members. We are an equal opportunity employer
with a long history of diversity in our workforce. As Ms. Stanley is
an employee, we are not able to comment on her personnel
matters," spokesman Jarek Beem said in an email.
Source: CNN.
Majority of people online said she should even be fired. What do
you think? or as CNN asked, is it religious freedom or
discrimination?
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