School Sued Over Muslim Teacher's Pilgrimage

[chanel]

(AP) The federal government sued a suburban Chicago school district Monday for denying a Muslim middle school teacher unpaid leave to make a pilgrimage to Mecca that is a central part of her religion.

In a civil rights case, the department said the school district in Berkeley, Ill., denied the request of Safoorah Khan on grounds that her requested leave was unrelated to her professional duties and was not set forth in the contract between the school district and the teachers union. In doing so the school district violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to reasonably accommodate her religious practices, the government said.

The government asked the court to order the school district to adopt policies that reasonably accommodate its employees' religious practices and beliefs, and to reinstate Khan with back pay and also pay her compensatory damages.

School Sued Over Muslim Teacher's Pilgrimage - CBS News

Hmmm. Can anyone think of an unintended consequence of this decision?

Should all teachers be permitted to take a leave of absence during the middle of the school year, or just special ones?

 

[Skull Pilot]

If your job interferes with your religious activities then tough shit. If your religion is that important to you that you have to ask for special treatment then you shouldn't have taken the job in the first place.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Asking for a month off DURING the school year is not a reasonable request.

 

[Article 15]

Rumor has it you can still visit Mecca in the months of June, July, and August.

 

[martybegan]

According to the details of the case the teacher requested this around 2 years after being hired. She also requested a total of 3 weeks of unpaid leave, while the haij is only a week. Even adding 2 days for travel means 3 weeks is a bit much.

The requirement is also only 1 haij during ones lifetime, IF ONE CAN DO IT. The haij can only be done during a certain time, which happens to fall during the school year usually.

It really depends upon the contract the union has with the city. This is also different then asking for a day here and there. 3 weeks of a substitute teacher is a long time.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

Muslims rate special treatment because terrorism works .

 

[Jack Fate]

The teacher has all summer vacation to go to Mecca. Anyone with common sense will throw this out. I'm sure they shopped around for a dweeb judge who will give serious consideration to their rights being damaged and all that bullshit.

 

[Sunni Man]

The teacher has all summer vacation to go to Mecca.

Your wrong as usual Jack Flake.

The woman wanted to perform the mandatory Hajj not take a vacation.

Currently, the Hajj takes place around October and not during the summer months.

 

[martybegan]

The teacher has all summer vacation to go to Mecca.

Your wrong as usual Jack Flake.

The woman wanted to perform the mandatory Hajj not take a vacation.

Currently, the Hajj takes place around October and not during the summer months.

Its only mandatory once in your lifetime, and would it really take a whole 3 weeks?

Asking for 3 weeks leave 2 years into a new job is not usually allowed.

 

[Sunni Man]

Its only mandatory once in your lifetime, and would it really take a whole 3 weeks?

Most people take off around 2 weeks to perform Hajj

2 days travel time to get there.

One week for the Hajj

And 2 day to get back home.

The other days they use for recuperation, because the Hajj is very physical and strenuous.

And is in No way a relaxing vacation.


But maybe she was taking the extended Hajj.

Many people after performing Hajj.

Since it is a once in a life time experience.

Take a few extra days and visit Madinah and see the Prophet's tomb and personal artifacts.

I assume this is why she requested 3 weeks instead of 2

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

Its only mandatory once in your lifetime, and would it really take a whole 3 weeks?

Most people take off around 2 weeks to perform Hajj

2 days travel time to get there.

One week for the Hajj

And 2 day to get back home.

The other days they use for recuperation, because the Hajj is very physical and strenuous.

And is in No way a relaxing vacation.


But maybe she was taking the extended Hajj.

Many people after performing Hajj.

Since it is a once in a life time experience.

Take a few extra days and visit Madinah and see the Prophet's tomb and personal artifacts.

I assume this is why she requested 3 weeks instead of 2

The hajj season will shortly fall during non school months correct.

 

[Madeline]

I don't understand why the feds have sued. Surely the school district did not say "we never approve vacations for religious reasons" or anything that stupid. Where's the discrimination?

Let her take a whole year off, so the kids are not harmed. If she cannot afford that, let her wait until retirement to make her pilgrimage.

 

[Jack Fate]

The teacher has all summer vacation to go to Mecca.

Your wrong as usual Jack Flake.

The woman wanted to perform the mandatory Hajj not take a vacation.

Currently, the Hajj takes place around October and not during the summer months.

So? She does not get special treatment because of her religion. Period.

 

[Sunni Man]

The hajj season will shortly fall during non school months correct.

Depends on what you mean by shortly?

Hajj will fall into the summer months several years from now.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

And it fell during non school months not so long ago .
I See this as suing for finical intimidation and gain. Nothing more.

 

[High_Gravity]

If I worked in a Muslim country, would they let me take a couple weeks off for Christmas or Easter? I have a feeling they would tell me to fuck off.

 

[Sunni Man]

So? She does not get special treatment because of her religion. Period.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says she does.

Any bets she won't win her case?

 

[Sunni Man]

If I worked in a Muslim country, would they let me take a couple weeks off for Christmas or Easter? I have a feeling they would tell me to fuck off.

Don't know and don't care what they would or wouldn't do in another country.

This case is taking place here in America.

And will be judged by U.S. laws.

 

[Madeline]

If I worked in a Muslim country, would they let me take a couple weeks off for Christmas or Easter? I have a feeling they would tell me to fuck off.

High Gravity, are you suggesting we should reshape the US constitution to resemble the law of Iran more? If not, the legal systems of other nations is mainly irrelevant.

There's a tension between the right to work and the right to worship for Americans. We are accomodating of the christians, less so of adherents of any other faith. Don't you suppose there are more'n a few devote Jews who've resented being asked to work on a Saturday before now?

All that's new about this story is, the religion and its practices are not familiar to us and the requests for accommodation seem extreme. But we'll survive.

 

[Madeline]

So? She does not get special treatment because of her religion. Period.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says she does.

Any bets she won't win her case?

I don't see how, Sunni Man. She has a religious belief that she needs to be absent for a month during the school year.....how is that anything other than "not available to work"? Seems to me, she has informed the school board she needs a year-long sabbtical and mebbe she'll get that....but the students are entitled to be taught well, by the same teacher, all year.