We’re happy to report a major victory today in the case of a respected Transportation Security Administration baggage screener who was discriminated against on religious grounds.
Josue Brissot is a baggage screener at Logan airport – and despite a commendable service record, he had been passed up for numerous promotions due to the fact that he wears his hair in dreadlocks in accordance with his Rastafarian religion. When hired, he was told that his long hair would be no problem – but that wasn’t the story when he suspected unfair treatment:
From our news release, published earlier today:
“Brissot, a highly regarded screener, had been assured when hired that the agency had no problems with the way he wore his hair for religious reasons. Yet, by 2004, after continually being passed over for raises and promotions, Brissot began to ask questions and was told his hair was not in compliance with agency policy. In August 2005, managers threatened him with loss of his job, and he came to the ACLU of Massachusetts for help.
"The irony of this case," said Sarah Wunsch, ACLU of Massachusetts staff attorney, "is that the so-called 'faith-based administration,' the Bush Administration, was willing to fire an excellent, highly trained screener because he wore his hair long for religious reasons. They showed no respect for his religious needs and apparently cared more about appearances than safety."
Boston attorney Jonathan Margolis, who was co-counsel in the case, noted that the law requires employers to make accommodation to employees' religious needs, unless to do so would impose an undue burden on the employer. "We made many proposals to TSA on how to reasonably accommodate Josue's religion," Margolis said, "and they literally told him to stuff it, to stuff his long thick dreads inside his shirt collar. The judge said that was unreasonable and, indeed, it was."
Read the full news release here:
http://aclum.org/news/20091117.php
Needless to say, we’re extremely pleased when we can report news like this. We wish Brissot the best and congratulate all involved in this important victory for religious freedom.
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2 comments:
As a co-worker of TSO Josue Brissot and American Federation of Government Employees TSO Local union leader working at Logan International Airport, I contacted the A.C.L.U. of MA office seeking help on Brissot's case. I thought your organization was the perfect fit so to speak, because the A.C.L.U. of MD both defended and won a similar case on behalf of a Baltimore Police Officer.
The fact that our wonderful co-worker, Josue, had the necessary faith and will to follow-up with your office and defend his religion from attack, enduring the lengthy stressful process that any E.E.O.C. case involves, is incredible.
My TSA Officer colleagues and our union members cannot thank the A.C.L.U. of MA and the ever determined Jonathan Margolis enough for helping our co-worker "GiGi" stand up for himself. Especially, in the face of the most anti-employee rights and protections TSA leadership ever suffered under.
Little undermines employee morale and distracts us from our important national security mission than being TSA forced to work for a bunch bullies lacking the commonsense to not only violate Josue's Freedom of Religion, but, these senior Boston TSA officials also wasted tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars defending a frivilous case that never should have been. Maybe TSA HQs under new TSA Administrator to be, Erroll G. Southers, will finally do the right thing and come up here and clean house.
Congratulations Josue!!! Now you can write us all a happy song and hopefully sing it to us...
If they had issues with appearance, I believe they should have come out with some type of code instead of letting things go as they did. If this person is a hard worker, why not treat him as one.
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