Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc.
United States Supreme Court
135 S. Ct. 2028 (2015)
Samantha Elauf, a Muslim who wore a headscarf for religious reasons, applied for a job at Abercrombie & Fitch (defendant), whose dress policy barred "caps" without defining the term; although Elauf never explicitly told Abercrombie she wore the headscarf for religious reasons or that she would need an accommodation, the district manager declined to hire her because her headscarf would violate the dress policy. The EEOC (plaintiff) sued on Elauf's behalf, and the district court granted the EEOC summary judgment, but the Tenth Circuit reversed in Abercrombie's favor.
Whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from declining to hire an applicant in order to avoid providing a religious accommodation even if the applicant does not inform the employer of the need for accommodation.