EEOC Sues Guam's Aviation Concepts for Religious Discrimination

[Brother_Bliss]

EEOC Sues Guam's Aviation Concepts for Religious Discrimination

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Guam - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is alleging that Aviation Concepts, an aircraft retailer and service provider, violated federal law when it terminated a Jehovah’s Witness after he refused to raise the flags of the United States and Guam.

According to the EEOC, an assistant mechanic at the company had made known his religious beliefs and the restrictions associated with being a Jehovah’s Witness.

During the first year and a half of his employment, the company respected his religious beliefs and he was not required to perform duties which conflicted with those beliefs.

However, the EEOC contends that this changed in June 2010 when a different manager ordered the mechanic to raise the U.S. and Guam flags at the worksite. The mechanic again explained he could not raise the flags because doing so would violate his religious beliefs. The manager reacted by ordering the mechanic to go home. Aviation then fired the mechanic that same day for insubordination.

After attempts to reach a pre-litigation settlement failed, the EEOC filed its lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, District of Guam alleging that Aviation discriminated on the basis of religion by imposing a job requirement which conflicted with the mechanic’s sincerely held religious beliefs and then terminating him for his inability to perform that requirement. This alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

The EEOC’s suit seeks backpay and compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of the mechanic, along with injunctive relief intended to prevent future instances of discrimin­ation at Aviation Concepts.

In response, Aviation Concept released the following statement today:

"Aviation Concepts employs and accommodates persons of all religion, race, gender, or national origin. We have not received a copy of the complaint but vehemently deny any act of religious retaliation or any other discrimination against any employee, vendor, or individual."

Article Source: PNC