02/11/2007

Associated Press

Complaints of religious discrimination at jobs and schools in Washington state are at their highest in the past 15 years, with confrontations ranging from when and where people pray, how they dress or what hours they work, The Seattle Times reported Sunday.

According to filings with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, complaints in the state rose 60 percent between 2002 and 2006, compared to a nationwide 30 percent increase during the same period.

"We're seeing an increase in religious charges involving all different faiths — across the board," said Kathryn Olson, supervisory trial attorney with the EEOC in Seattle.

Employers are prohibited from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing and other terms of employment under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law applies to employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments, as well as employment agencies, labor organizations, and the federal government.

The war in Iraq and an increasingly diverse population have helped fuel workplace tensions. But although many complaints come from Muslims, data shows a growing conflict around the Christian faith.

That could be because conservative Christians have become less tolerant of those with whom they disagree and more determined to impose their values on others, said Flora Wilson Bridges, an associate professor at Seattle University.

The Alliance Defense Fund contends people of faith should not have to leave their religious beliefs at home. It has waged legal battles on behalf of Christians nationwide.

"Christians are being treated as second-class citizens in schools, city council and on the streets," said Greg Scott, a spokesman for the group.

Three years ago, two former Kentridge High School students sued the school after their Truth Bible Club was denied a charter in part because it required members to swear allegiance to Jesus Christ. Club organizers refused to abolish the Christians-only criterion for membership and to remove the word "truth" from the name.

They're awaiting a decision in federal court.

Such disputes are widespread.

A man complained to Seattle's Office of Civil Rights last year that he was kicked out of a blood bank for talking about religion there; the blood bank said he was being loud and obnoxious.

At Cedar Park Assembly of God, a teacher was told she couldn't keep a Bible on her desk and a child was told that he couldn't say "Merry Christmas."

"Separation of church and state has suddenly become separation of church and public life," the Rev. Joe Fuiten said.

Federal, state and local law prohibit discrimination based on religion and other characteristics like race and sex. School districts and governmental agencies are obligated to respect such constitutional rights as free speech and expression.

However, those working in the private sector don't always enjoy rights allowed government employees.

"There's this joke labor attorneys share ... that when you go into the private sector, you check your constitutional rights at the door," said Joseph Marra, a Seattle labor attorney.

While working as a Microsoft contractor, Khaled Mohamed, was asked last year about an anti-war Web site he maintains and how often he accessed it and other Web sites.

The 39-year-old Egyptian immigrant said he was escorted from the premises and told he would never again work for Microsoft.

Mohamed filed a religious and national-origin discrimination complaint with the EEOC against Excell Data, his direct employer, and against Microsoft.

Excell said Mohamed's contract was terminated because he violated Microsoft policy against using company resources for personal reasons.

"I think they believed my views were too extremist," said Mohamed, who said he'd accessed his site, http://www.waronislam.net, twice in his six months at Microsoft. The Web site criticizes the U.S. presence in the Middle East.

Microsoft declined to comment on his case, but within days of the complaint made Mohamed eligible for rehire.

To help prevent such complaints, employers should not tolerate harassment and must establish clear policies against doing so, labor lawyers and human-resource experts say.

They're also required to accommodate, within reasonable limits, the "bona fide" religious beliefs and practices of employees.

"I tell employers to go the furthest step that a reasonable person would ask you to go and then go one step further — and you'll win," said Rick Liebman, an employment attorney in Portland.

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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com