Dec 03 2008
Rastafarian ex-Jiffy Lube worker kept from customers is suing
[ABC News]
Rastafarian man who refused to shave off his beard or cut his hair to comply with a Jiffy Lube employee grooming policy can take his religious discrimination case to trial, Massachusetts’ highest court ruled Tuesday.
The Supreme Judicial Court reversed a decision by a Superior Court judge who had dismissed Bobby T. Brown’s lawsuit against a Jiffy Lube franchisee before a trial.
Brown worked as a technician at a Hadley Jiffy Lube business owned by F.L. Roberts & Co. Inc.
In 2002, after a new grooming policy was put in place requiring employees who worked with customers to be clean-shaven, Brown told management that his religion does not permit him to shave or cut his hair. Managers then said Brown could work only in lower bays where he did not have contact with customers.
Brown filed a discrimination lawsuit in state court in 2006. A Superior Court judge agreed with the company that it had the right to control its public image and found that it would be an undue hardship on the company to grant Brown an exemption from the grooming policy.
But the Supreme Judicial Court disagreed, saying the company had not proven that no other accommodation was possible for Brown without imposing an undue hardship on the company.
Read more here.
[From me]
I wonder what else we could use religion to get out of doing?
What do you think?
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4 responses so far
It sounds more like a ’safety” issue than a religious one….
And I hope he loses…and loses big.
Phil Hoover’s last blog post..Thank You, President Bush…
How about paying taxes? It’s almost time to be thinking about the tax man. Can’t there be something in scripture or in the precepts of my denomination that precludes my complying with the IRS.
Jerald’s last blog post..The Pearl of Great Price -
Being a beard wearer myself I find it ridiculous that a place that works on cars has a facial hair policy at all. But my bigger concern is with a court system that has so much free time on its hands that it can concern itself with the grooming habits of Americans. Surely there is a better use of tax payer’s money.
Strider’s last blog post..Once More Into the Breach
I can think of a lot of religious things that I could use get out of complying with my job requirements. Would it be the truth? Like I could say, ‘God led me to this Christian blog-site to submit a comment while I am at work.’
Uh oh. I gotta go now. I think my Father is calling me. C-ya
(*Laff)
In Christ
Andrew <
Titus 2:13