World

Muslim flight attendant ‘suspended by US airline for refusing to serve alcohol’

Charee Stanley has filed a discrimination complaint against ExpressJet

Web Desk September 07, 2015

Charee Stanley, a Muslim flight attendant working for ExpressAir, is suing for discrimination after claiming she was suspended for refusing to serve alcohol PHOTO: Council on American-Islamic Relations

A Muslim flight attendant in the United States has said she was suspended by ExpressJet for refusing to serve alcohol in accordance with her Islamic faith.

Charee Stanley, 40, filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday against American airline, ExpressJet. Her lawyer, Lena Masri, an attorney with Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said that Stanley wanted to do her job without serving alcohol in accordance with her Islamic faith just as she was doing before her suspension.

Read: United apologises to Muslim woman for soda incident, bans accused crew member

"What this case comes down to is no one should have to choose between their career and religion and it's incumbent upon employers to provide a safe environment where employees can feel they can practice their religion freely," Masri added.

The lawyer further said that Stanley had started working for ExpressJet around three years ago and had converted to Islam about two years ago. After learning this year that her religion not only forbade her from consuming alcohol but it also prohibited her from serving it, she had approached her supervisor on June 1 and was allowed to work out an arrangement with another employee so that she would not have to serve alcohol to passengers.

"It was at the direction of the airlines that she began coordinating with the other flight attendant on duty so that when a passenger requested alcohol, the other flight attendant would accommodate that request. We know that this arrangement has worked beautifully and without incident and that it hasn't caused any undue burden on the airline. After all, it was the suggestion of the airline," Masri informed.

However, on August 2, another flight attendant complained to the airline claiming that Stanley was not performing her duties and that she had a book with ‘foreign writings’ and wore a headscarf. On August 25, Stanley received a letter from ExpressJet informing her that it was revoking its religious accommodation to exclude her from service of alcohol and placing her on administrative leave.

Read: Muslim woman subjected to discrimination on United Airline flight considering legal action

"They placed her on unpaid leave and they advised her that her employment may be terminated after 12 months. We are requesting that her employment be reinstated and the accommodation of her religious beliefs be reinstated as well," Masri said.

ExpressJet spokesperson, Jarek Beem, declined to comment on Stanley’s complaint and instead said that they embraced and respected the values of all of our team members. “We are an equal opportunity employer with a long history of diversity in our workforce. As Ms Stanley is an employee, we are not able to comment on her personnel matters.”

This article originally appeared on CNN.

COMMENTS (23)

HAMU | 9 years ago | Reply If you do not want to serve alcohol then quite your job!! why all the fuss???

Babbarsher Khan | 9 years ago | Reply She is in the wrong profession, plain and simple. Tomorrow, she may demand her right to pray in the isle of the aircraft while passengers are either boarding or disembarking. She has right to be religious but she does not have the right to bring it to the public sphere where it starts obstructing other's lifestyle choices. This goes beyond what is called the reasonable accommodation principle. Now I fear a backlash, anyone showing sign of sign of religiousness might not get job in airlines industry.

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raw is war | 9 years ago | Reply Most likely she is looking at a huge pay off from a lawsuit. If she hates serving alcohol, she must.find a job of chopping Onions.

V.Suresh | 9 years ago | Reply @jaheed eljauwad: Then she should get a new job. And now, given her reputation for being someone incapable of being flexible enough at work, her chances of employment are going to be vastly diminished.

V.Suresh | 9 years ago | Reply @Leo: She loses her job, makes it difficult for other Muslims to get employment and there will be more stories about Muslim inabilities to adapt. That unfortunately will be the most tangible outcome of this episode. It must be emphasised that nobody forced her to drink alcohol, she is only asked to serve alcohol as part of her duties. But if she takes up a job which entails this type of activity, she should adapt or quit.

Leo | 9 years ago | Reply I fully supports her and salute her not only for refusing to serve alcohal but also for defending her case legaly. Hope you will get justice.

who | 9 years ago | Reply The new convert's zeal. Understandable.

Saghir | 9 years ago | Reply If she doesn't want to serve alcohol then she shoudln't be working in the airline indsutry as they serve nonZabihah meat too. That's not the place for her to work.

Asok | 9 years ago | Reply @AD, she is not a refugee. She is an American, who converted to Islam an year after she started this job. She didn't ask for a transfer to another position. The accommodation she asked was for another employee to serve the drinks. One the face of it, that is placing an unfair burden on other employees. However, I will add that in reality, especially in short haul flights like those served by ExpressJet, there is very little serving of alcohol involved, so the reason could be seen as an excuse. The fact that other employees complained of "foreign writing" is definitely a point in favor of her case that she was being discriminated against.

Patrick | 9 years ago | Reply To some of the pro comments. There is over 4000 religions and beliefs in the world. Which one is right is the question. To impose ones beliefs over the other one is wrong. I have no problems if she is fired and seeks employments in an industry fitting her beliefs. She cannot infringe on other people rights or change the rules of a game while it is playing nor should she force people to conform to her rules or beliefs.

jaheed eljauwad | 9 years ago | Reply I support her..the one who serve alcohol and the one who drink it are the same, islam forbade drinking Alcohol and serving it.....

Asim Khan | 9 years ago | Reply I applaud this woman who stood up for her Muslim beliefs. I would not allow my daughther to work in a supermarket which sold alcohol or pork. All these Pakistanis who criticize her it shows how weak your strength is in Islam. It is better that no Muslim work for an airline than make any compromises.

David Asset | 9 years ago | Reply It's time for those pandering Republican candidates (Cruz, Paul, Jindal, Huckabee, Carson) who came to Kim Davis' defense, when she wouldn't issue marriage licenses to gay couples, allegedly exercising her "religious freedom" to figure out how they're going to respond to the case of the Muslim stewardess who's now suing the airline she works for because she was suspended for refusing to serve alcohol to passengers, something she's religiously opposed to. If they plan on being consistent, they'd now have to defend this Muslim stewardess, which will put them at odds with the base that is wildly anti-Muslim. I hope someone asks this question at the next debate.

Teapaw | 9 years ago | Reply I would fire her. If I refused to do my job, or any part there in I would be fired. Not plastered across the news. This is ridiculous.

Patrick | 9 years ago | Reply I do not understand why some religious people are so intolerant of others. Why should anyone deny the rights of others to satisfy their own beliefs.

V.Suresh | 9 years ago | Reply This is the typical overzealousness of a new convert. Most Muslim stewards on airlines such as Emirates, Malaysian, Etihad etc. do serve alcohol. All that this woman has achieved is that she has increased the difficulty of Muslims in getting jobs in the services industries such as airlines, catering, restaurants etc.

Shah(Berlin) | 9 years ago | Reply @Fahad: Now this is a very ignorant reply. No one is forcing her to take off her Head scarf. In Airline you have passengers from different background thus inform me one scenario in which the Airline can give her a Job? This means when one passengers ask for Alcohol, our colleague should jump in? This is ridiculous. And such cases destroys the Job prospect for other Muslims as well....

Fahad | 9 years ago | Reply Very bold step taken by the lady. I support her. There are thousands of jobs in the airline industry which the airline can switch her with. It should not be a big problem for the airline. Even Sikh people prefer to wear the turban and keep the beard and no one objects to it as it is part of their religion.

Malik | 9 years ago | Reply Her duty requires her to serve alcohol on an AMERICAN airline. They are not legally obliged to accommodate her.

AD | 9 years ago | Reply They want to rush to West as refugees ,but dont value there culture and traditions. They want to enjoy peace but fail to be part of it.How shame ful.Not a single muslim country has offered refuge to Syrian , Saudi/UAE/Kuwait are all silent. They talk big but fail to help.I still wonder how Europe is managing such a huge rush of Muslim refugees.Let the Saudis first open the door for them.

WTF | 9 years ago | Reply No one forces you to drink alcohol . As a part of Job, you have to serve it . When religion interferes job, then you quit it. You can't be paid for no service.

nirmal | 9 years ago | Reply she is ruining the prospect of fellow Muslim job seekers not only in US but also elsewhere in the land of non-believers..

PostMan | 9 years ago | Reply She should not serve in airline as hostess if she feels her religious obligations would contravene her work environment. She cannot be paid for non-performance of her required services.

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