These cases of people’s religious convictions coming into conflict with the jobs they’re supposed to carry out is becoming a dime a dozen these days and a lasting solution must be found to it.
When your job requires you to do something, and your religion requires you to do something else, how do you account for both? Should you resign, if you’re really convinced of your convictions. Or you stay on but refuse to do your job? Isn’t this about the whole ‘give to Caesar’s what’s his and to God what’s his?’
After US County court clerk Kim Davis became a household name for refusing to issue gay marriage licences and being jailed for that, another similar issue has cropped up.
This time Charee Stanley, a 40 year old Muslim flight attendant, is claiming she was suspended by ExpressJet due to her being unable to serve alcohol to customers due to her religious beliefs.
Stanley joined ExpressJet three years ago, before converting to Islam. It was just recently that she learned that not only does Islam forbid her from drinking alcohol, it also permits her from serving it.
She therefore approached a supervisor earlier this year, and was asked to work out an arrangement with a fellow staffer who would serve drinks in her stead. It was working smoothly until one of her fellow hostesses complained to their bosses.
On August 25, the airline sent a letter to Stanley informing her that it was revoking its religious accommodation to exclude her from service of alcohol and placing her on administrative leave.
“They placed her on unpaid leave and they advised her that her employment may be terminated after 12 months,” Lena Masri, an attorney with Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, revealed.
“We are requesting that her employment be reinstated and the accommodation of her religious beliefs be reinstated as well.”
Masri further went on that ExpressJet Airlines has an “obligation under the law to reasonably accommodate Ms. Stanley’s religious beliefs,” and has violated Stanley’s constitutional rights.
A spokesman for ExpressJet declined to discuss Stanley’s complaint.
“At ExpressJet, we embrace and respect the values of all of our team members. We are an equal opportunity employer with a long history of diversity in our workforce. As Ms. Stanley is an employee, we are not able to comment on her personnel matters,” spokesman Jarek Beem said in an email.
Should employers be required to make accommodations for every employees religious quirks?