Written by Don Byrd
An EEOC lawsuit brought on behalf of a Sikh employee of AutoZone resulted in a $75,000 settlementannounced last week. In the agreement, the company agreed to implement new policies and training programs related to religious discrimination.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Massachusetts in Boston, AutoZone managers at its Everett, Mass., location harassed Mahoney Burroughs by disparaging his religion, asking if he had joined Al-Qaeda and whether he was a terrorist. AutoZone also failed to intervene when customers referred to him as “Bin Laden” and made terrorist jokes. The EEOC also charged that AutoZone refused to let Mahoney Burroughs wear a religiously mandated turban and kara (a religious bracelet). Finally, the EEOC alleged that AutoZone terminated him because of his religion and in retaliation for asking for an accommodation and complaining about discrimination.
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“It is plainly unlawful, as well as cruel and counter-productive, to harass employees or co-workers because of their religion,” said Elizabeth Grossman, regional attorney for the EEOC’s New York District Office, which has jurisdiction over Massachusetts. “Employers must be vigilant in watching out for such misconduct and resolute in stopping it if they find it.”
