GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A Muslim woman says she was demoted in her work at an Amway plant in western Michigan and had her hours cut because of her religious head covering.
The Detroit News reports the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Michigan and Ohio offices sued this week in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, saying Aaminah Ussabur faced complaints about the traditional Muslim head scarf, known as a hijab.
The lawsuit against staffing agency ManpowerGroup and direct-sales giant Amway Corp. says Ussabur’s civil rights were violated and seeks punitive damages, back pay and benefits.
Amway says the case involves a safety issue, since workers at the pressure packaging plant aren’t allowed to wear things that may get tangled in a machine.
ManpowerGroup says it typically doesn’t comment on individual personnel matters.
