The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for allegedly violating the religious rights of an employee, Franches Spears, who was terminated for wearing a head covering as an expression of her Ifa faith.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Texas, accuses TDCJ of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to provide reasonable religious accommodations and discriminating against Spears based on her religious beliefs.
Feds accuse Texas prison agency of discriminating against employee (Credits: San Antonio Current)
According to the complaint, Spears, a records clerk at the Pam Lychner State Jail near Humble, Texas, began wearing a head covering in September 2019 as a requirement of her Ifa faith.
Despite initially wearing it without objection for over a month, she was later directed to human resources and informed that she was in breach of the agency’s uniform and grooming standards. When she explained her religious beliefs to Human Resources Specialist Elizabeth Fisk, she was allegedly dismissed and told that her accommodation may never be approved.
Spears was placed on indefinite unpaid leave and eventually terminated for refusing to remove her head covering. The DOJ alleges that TDCJ’s actions constituted religious discrimination and violated Spears’ rights under Title VII.
Justice Department (Credits: VOA News)
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke emphasized that employers have a clear legal obligation to offer reasonable religious accommodations and cannot force employees to choose between their faith and their job.
The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction to stop TDCJ from discriminating based on religion and demands full compensation for the pain and suffering caused to Spears.
This case highlights the importance of employers respecting and accommodating the religious beliefs of their employees, and the DOJ’s commitment to enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.
