The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, applauded today’s 8-1 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court reversing a lower court decision requiring applicants for employment to disclose their religious observance during a hiring interview or anytime during the hiring process. The high court held today that “an employer may not make a [job] applicant’s religious practice, confirmed or otherwise, a factor in employment decisions.”
The case is EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc. and it arose out of a dispute between Samantha Elauf, a practicing Muslim who wears a religiously required headscarf, and Abercrombie, which asserted they could not accommodate her practice as it conflicted with their stores’ dress policy.
Nathan Diament, executive director for public policy of the Orthodox Union stated:
“The Orthodox Jewish community applauds today’s ruling by the Supreme Court—as should Americans of all faiths. Today’s ruling not only affirmed basic protections against religious discrimination, it reaffirmed that the Civil Rights Act’s antidiscrimination provisions not only protect freedom of belief, but that, in the words of the Court, “religious practice is one of the protected characteristics that cannot be accorded [unfair] treatment and must be accommodated. This is a great day for religious freedom in the United States.”
Read the full story on the OU Advocacy website.