Tulsa teen alleges Abercrombie & Fitch store did not hire her because of religious head scarf
By APFriday, September 18, 2009
Teen alleges discrimination by Abercrombie & Fitch
TULSA, Okla. — A federal lawsuit filed against clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch alleges that the manager at an Oklahoma store refused to hire a 17-year-old Muslim girl because she wore a head scarf.
Attorneys for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Tulsa.
According to the suit, Samantha Elauf applied for a sales position at the Abercrombie Kids store in the Woodland Hills Mall in Tulsa in June 2008. The teen, who wears a hijab, claims the manager told her the head scarf violates the store’s “Look Policy.”
A company spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit but says Abercrombie & Fitch has a strong equal employment opportunity policy and accommodates religious practices when possible.
