Elham Asaad Buaras
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reached a settlement in a case involving a Muslim officer who claimed that his supervisor retaliated against him after he sought religious accommodations to keep his beard in accordance with his Islamic faith. The details of the settlement were disclosed on October 2.
The lawsuit brought forward by the Michigan branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) claims that after the officer was granted his religious accommodation, his direct supervisor retaliated by subjecting him to unjust disciplinary actions and revoking his law enforcement credentials. This unfair treatment led to the officer losing overtime opportunities and damaging his reputation among his colleagues.
The settlement ensures monetary compensation for the officer, along with religious accommodations and mandated training for CBP administrators in Detroit, CAIR-MI confirmed.
“We hope that this settlement, along with the religious accommodations training, will prompt CBP to take essential steps to prevent retaliation against any employee exercising their right to practise sincerely-held religious beliefs,” said Dawud Walid, CAIR-MI’s Executive Director.
“All employees, including federal employees, have a right to a reasonable accommodation for their sincerely held religious beliefs; it is a fundamental guarantee of our Constitution,” said CAIR-MI Staff Attorney Amy V. Doukoure. “When individuals are entrusted with security at our border, we must be able to guarantee that they can carry out their job without the influence of their own personal biases. In this case, we are hopeful that this settlement will not only guarantee that our client will be made whole and have the accommodations to which he is entitled but also be a catalyst for ensuring that CBP management will have the tools necessary to ensure everyone at the border, including officers, are treated equitably.”
