The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Prisons for denying religious accommodations to employees for wearing head coverings.
Frances Spears, a former archivist at the agency’s Pam Lickner State Prison near Humble, Texas, was initially placed on paid leave and later fired because she wore a head covering “as an expression of her Ifa faith.” .
“Employers cannot require employees to renounce their religious beliefs or unreasonably question the sincerity of those beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark. statement.
“This case serves as a reminder to all employers of the clear legal obligation to provide reasonable religious accommodations. It cannot be forced.”
The federal lawsuit was filed Friday in the Southern District of Texas against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). The agency alleges it violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
According to the complaint, Spears requested that she wear a head covering in accordance with her religion. TDCJ refused to comply with her request, first suspending her without compensation and then terminating her employment because she did not want to remove her headscarf, according to court documents.
Spears reportedly wore the headgear in September 2019. After wearing it for more than a month without objection, she was directed to human resources and notified that she was in violation of the agency’s “Business Casual Uniform and Personal Appearance Standards for Non-Uniformed Employees,” she said. complaint.
There, she spoke at length about her Ifa faith, but is said to have been told by human resources specialist Elizabeth Fisk, “You basically just pray to a rock.”
Spears was asked to fill out a “religious accommodation form” but was warned that “your accommodation may not be approved.”
“Spears felt obligated to follow the tenets of her faith and refused to remove her head covering in order to continue working. As a result, TDCJ placed her on indefinite unpaid leave.” Ta. complaint claims.
The Justice Department is seeking “full compensation for her pain and suffering” caused by TDCJ, in addition to a permanent injunction to stop prison authorities from discriminating on the basis of religion.
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