DOJ Sues School District Over Its Refusal To Grant Unpaid Leave for Teacher's Hajj

The Justice Department announced yesterday that it has filed a Title VII religious discrimination lawsuit against the Berkeley, Illinois School District on behalf of a Muslim middle school teacher who was denied an unpaid leave that she requested so she could perform the Hajj. The school district denied the leave because it was not related to her professional duties nor was it for one of the reasons specified in the District's agreement with the teachers' union.  The lawsuit claims that the school district failed to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of teacher Safoorah Khan, causing her to lose her job when she chose to observe her religious obligations.  The suit seeks back pay, compensatory damages, reinstatement and a change in school district policies. According to the Justice Department's press release: "This is the first lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice as a result of a pilot project designed to ensure vigorous enforcement of Title VII against state and local governmental employers by enhancing cooperation between the EEOC and the Civil Rights Division."