In a significant move, the Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), accusing it of religious discrimination. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, alleges that TDCJ denied an employee's request to wear a head covering as an expression of her Ifa faith, a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The case revolves around Franches Spears, a non-uniformed clerk who requested to wear a head covering in accordance with her religious beliefs. Despite TDCJ allowing other employees to wear non-religious head coverings, Spears' request was denied. The department then suspended her indefinitely without pay when she refused to remove her head covering, questioned the sincerity of her faith, and ultimately terminated her employment.
"Employers cannot require employees to forfeit their religious beliefs or improperly question the sincerity of those beliefs," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. She added that the lawsuit serves as a "reminder to all employers of their clear legal obligation to offer reasonable religious accommodations."
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas echoed this sentiment, stating, "Religious discrimination in the workplace will not be tolerated in our district."
The Justice Department's lawsuit seeks to compel TDCJ to implement lawful religious accommodation policies and compensate Spears for lost wages and other damages. Title VII, a federal law, prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, and religion. It also protects employees from retaliation for reporting discrimination or participating in related investigations or proceedings.
The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, established in 1957, is committed to upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all persons in the United States, particularly the most vulnerable members of society. The division enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on various grounds, including religion.
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