- Chipotle faces a federal lawsuit for allegedly forcibly removing a Muslim employee’s hijab, resulting in accusations of religious harassment.
- The incident involves repeated demands to see the employee’s hair, leading to a hostile work environment and eventual termination of the manager involved.
The fast-food chain Chipotle finds itself entangled in a federal lawsuit, facing accusations of religious harassment and retaliation. This legal battle stems from a troubling incident that transpired at one of its Kansas establishments, involving the alleged forceful removal of an employee’s hijab by a manager.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in 2021, an assistant manager named Kevin Silva Garcia at a Chipotle in Lenexa, Kansas, repeatedly subjected the employee, Areej Saifan, to harassment. Garcia persistently demanded to see Saifan’s hair, despite her consistent refusals.
The situation escalated when Garcia physically grabbed and partially removed her hijab. The complaint filed states that Garcia’s persistent requests and his attempt to take off the hijab created a hostile working environment based on religion.
Chipotle eventually terminated Garcia’s employment, and Saifan also reported the incident to Lenexa Police.
Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, emphasized the company’s zero tolerance policy for discrimination and stated that they had terminated the employee in question.
The harassment began in July 2021 when Garcia started asking Saifan, who was 19 at the time, to to remove her hijab so he could see her hair. Over the course of a month, Garcia demanded to see her hair at least ten times, and every time, Saifan refused, citing her religious beliefs.
Saifan reported her discomfort to another supervisor, but no further action was taken against Garcia. The breaking point came in August 2021 when Garcia allegedly pulled her hijab partially off her head during closing. The following day, Saifan submitted her two weeks’ notice. However, Chipotle did not schedule her for any shifts during those two weeks, unlike other non-Muslim employees who continued to work during their notice periods.
The lawsuit accuses Chipotle of violating federal civil rights laws that protect employees and job applicants from discrimination based on religion, race, ethnicity, sex, and national origin. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission seeks changes in Chipotle’s policies to ensure equal employment opportunities for employees of all religions and seeks damages for the employee.
Saifan provided a detailed account of her experience to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and subsequently resigned from her position at Chipotle.
Saifan shared that she reported the incident to shed light on the manager’s alleged actions and to prevent such occurrences from happening again. She emphasized the importance of respecting people’s religious beliefs and accommodating differences.
