EEOC charges Yuma business with religious coercion
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, the operator of Oak Tree Inn in Yuma is being charged with religious discrimination for unlawfully permitting a manager to impose his personal religious beliefs on other employees, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced.
Titled EEOC vs. Lodging Enterprises LLC of Arizona dba Oak Tree Inn, Case No. CIV 09-2060 NVW and filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona in Phoenix, it asserts that Oak Tree Inn threatened employees with reprisals or otherwise forced them to engage in a particular religious prayer ceremony in spite of their personal different religious views.
The unlawful discrimination created a hostile work environment and denied employees reasonable accommodation for their religious beliefs, the EEOC said in a news release Tuesday.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against employees on the basis of religion, according to the EEOC.
"We deny the allegations," said Bill Burgess, media spokesman for Oak Tree. "We disagree with the facts as stated. We'll see what happens."
The EEOC said in the news release that it filed suit after failed efforts to reach a voluntary pre-litigation settlement. The agency is seeking monetary relief, including compensatory and punitive damages. The commission is also seeking an injunction to prevent the Oak Tree Inn from discriminating further.
“Employees have a right to their own religious beliefs or even no religious beliefs," said regional attorney Mary Jo O’Neill of EEOC’s Phoenix District Office. "But they should not be subjected unwillingly to a supervisor’s religious views and certainly should be free from coerced prayer sessions.”
Rayford O. Irvin, acting district director, added, “We will continue to vigorously pursue our mission of fighting employment discrimination on all fronts. We encourage employers and employees to sit down together and find an accommodation that works for all parties involved. Employee freedom of and from religion must be protected.”
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing the nation’s laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the agency is available on its Web site at www.eeoc.gov.
