Seventh-day Adventist wins case against Dunkin' Donuts

World News Daily

Judgment Day has come for a Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee that rescinded its job offer to a Christian man solely because he wanted to keep the weekly Sabbath holy, which is one of the Ten Commandments.

As WND reported last September, Darrell Littrell of Asheville, North Carolina, is a Seventh-day Adventist who holds the belief he cannot work on the Sabbath day, which he observes from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the donut maker on Littrell’s behalf and has now won its case, forcing the franchisee to pay $22,000 and take measures to prevent religious discrimination in the future.

According to the EEOC, “Around Dec. 15, 2012, Littrell applied for the position of a donut maker at the Citi Brands’ manufacturing facility in Arden, North Carolina, and was later interviewed by the company’s plant manager.

“On Jan. 3, 2013, the plant manager offered Littrell the donut maker position, and told Littrell he would start work the next afternoon, a Friday, at 3 p.m.

“Littrell responded that he could not start work on Friday afternoon because as part of his faith, he does not work from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. The plant manager responded by revoking Littrell’s job offer.”

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from refusing to hire people because of their religion, and requires employers to provide a reasonable accommodation for an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs so long as doing so does not create an undue hardship for the employer.

In addition to paying $22,000 in damages to Littrell, the five-year consent decree resolving the lawsuit includes injunctive relief prohibiting the company from discriminating on the basis of religion in the future. The settlement also provides that Citi Brands will implement a policy regarding religious accommodation, conduct annual training for all employees, and report religious accommodation requests to the EEOC. Citi Brands LLC will also post a copy of its policy on religious accommodation in all of its North Carolina restaurants and facilities.

“Religious discrimination is a continuing problem in the American workplace,” said Lynette A. Barnes, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District Office. “Under federal laws, employers have an obligation to balance employees’ needs and rights to practice their religion with the conduct of the employer’s business. Where there is a minimal impact on the business, those religious needs must be accommodated.”

Source: http://www.wnd.com/2015/07/judgment-day-for-famous-eatery-in-sabbath-fight/#WjTOYVt2coeZFzUR.99