Muslim Civil Liberties Group Claims Airline Violated Flight Attendant’s Constitutional Rights

[brooklynite]

CBS Detroit:

FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) – A Muslim flight attendant has filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEO) claiming she was suspended from her job for not serving alcohol — which is against her religious beliefs.

Lena Masri, an attorney for the Council of American Islamic Relations Michigan (CAIR), says Charee Stanley followed management’s directions, workingout an arrangement with her coworkers to accommodate passenger requests for alcohol.

However, Masri said, ExpressJet Airlines put Stanley on administrative leave after another attendant filed “an Islamophobic complaint” that referenced Stanley’s head scarf.

“We notified ExpressJet Airlines of its obligation under the law to reasonably accommodate Ms. Stanley’s religious beliefs,” Masri said at a news conference in Farmington Hills on Tuesday. “Instead, ExpressJet close to violate Ms. Stanely’s constitutional rights, placed her on administrative leave for 12 months after which her employment may be administratively terminated.”

[KamaAina]

1. Serving alcohol is against her religious beliefs?

I thought only drinking it was, as the Qu'ran warns against drunkenness. I guess all the Arabs who run bodegas in NYC, the Bay Area and elsewhere must be Christian.

[jberryhill]

3. I'm starting a religion where everyday is a sabbath

I think I'll charge $10 for membership cards, and instructions on what to do if your employer tries to make you work.

[Bad Thoughts]

9. Can you do business on the Sabbath?

If not, you can't collect your membership fee.

[jberryhill]

11. I'll forgive myself for that

[jberryhill]

2. The headscarf is fine / Serving alcohol is inherent to the job

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

14. I agree.

Headscarf permissable: no brainer.

Won't serve alcohol: get another job.

Many flights only have two attendants, and depending on where the person who wants the alcoholic beverage is sitting, it could cause a real slowdown in service for passengers.

The cart is blocking the isle, so what do they do? Move the cart all the way forward or backwards so the other flight attendant can serve the alcohol?

What about servers in restaurants? Can they decline to serve alcohol?

[arcane1]

4. Administrative leave for an entire YEAR?

I've never heard of such a thing!

[petronius]

8. I'm assuming it isn't paid leave (she's not a cop, after all), but that does look

really strange.

Seems like a bit of an odd situation--maybe there's more going on here. On the one hand, I don't think the airline should be obligated to accommodate this (although serving alcohol is a pretty minor part of a FA job, I'd think), but on the other hand her way of dealing with it seems so seamless that I doubt passengers really even notice - unless they fly some really heavy-drinking routes, or something...

[smirkymonkey]

5. Ridiculous. She doesn't have to drink it,

she just has to do her job and give the customers what they request. If your religion prevents you from fulfilling the requirements of your job, find a job that accommodates your religious beliefs.

[ryan_cats]

6. How many times has she been married?

How many times has she been married?

[NCjack]

7. Folks should not apply for jobs that they are not willing to do. /nt

[hifiguy]

10. This.

Some Somali cabbies here in MSP tried to pull a similar stunt a few years back. They didn't want to pick up fares at the airport if the fares were "carrying alcohol" in their LUGGAGE.

That goofy bullshit got shot down in flames real fast and IIRC a few cab licenses were yanked and airport privileges revoked. That shut people up, and pronto.

[jberryhill]

12. I flew Qatar a few months back - top notch booze and lots of it

[TipTok]

13. Literally the same as working as a bartender and refusing to serve.