Electric Power Suppliers Sued by EEOC for Religious Discrimination

Electric Power Suppliers Sued by EEOC for Religious Discrimination

Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – An electric power supplier, located in Fayetteville, Ark., violated federal law by firing an employee because of her religious practices, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

According to the EEOC’s suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Fayetteville Division, Julia Solis, a call center customer service representative and a Jehovah’s Witnesses, requested one day off to attend a religious convention. The company denied the request and finally fired Solis for this, the agency said.

Such conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects employees against discrimination based on religion and requires employers to provide employees with reasonable accommodations to allow them to practice their sincerely held religious beliefs. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

The EEOC has asked the court to grant a permanent injunction enjoining the company from engaging in any further employment practice that discriminates against employees because of their religious beliefs and requiring the company to reasonably accommodate the religious beliefs of employees. The EEOC has also asked the court to order the company to provide relief to Solis, compensatory and punitive damages and any other relief the court deems necessary and proper.

“This employee’s request was so modest and minor it is astounding the company not only refused it, but also fired her,” said Katharine W. Kores, district director of the EEOC’s Memphis District Office, which has jurisdiction over Arkansas, Tennessee and portions of Mississippi. “Employees should never be forced to choose between their religion and their job.”

The company is a not-for-profit corporation that supplies electric power to its members in Northwest Arkansas and Northeast Oklahoma. According to its  website, it serves more than 62,000 homes, farms, businesses and industries in  parts of Benton, Crawford, Franklin, Madison and Washington counties in  Arkansas, and Adair, Cherokee, Delaware and Sequoyah counties in Oklahoma.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.

To learn about the latest employment discrimination laws or training to protect your company from potential liability, please contact Berkshire Associates at 800.882.8904 or email bai@berkshireassociates.com.