ASU food hall workers file discrimination complaint over hijab

Arizona State University dining hall workers employed by Aramark submitted a complaint with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office alleging that a Muslim employee was forced by management to remove her hijab to continue working, despite her offering other solutions.

In July, the 19-year-old worker, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, allegedly notified Aramark’s Human Resources department that she intended to start wearing a hijab to work and was not told she could not wear one or that it needed to be a specific color.

On Aug. 10, her manager pulled her aside at the beginning of her shift and told that her hijab “was not in uniform” and “not the proper color” as employees must wear all black while working, including head garb. The woman offered to go home and change, have a black hijab delivered or wait for clarification from HR, according to the complaint.

Her manager allegedly rejected all of these options and told her that she would not be allowed to return to work if she left to change.

In the end, the worker removed her hijab under protest and continued to work.

The complaint notes there were multiple times where other non-Muslim employees wore colorful headgear, such as bandanas, hair bows and bonnets, in front of managers with no problems.

This comes after a State Press report that also alleged Aramark disregarded student workers’ religious beliefs.

The complaint asks Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to investigate the food service company’s religious discrimination and failure-to-accommodate practices at the ASU facilities it serves and to include employees who are not represented the UNITE HERE Local 11 union, such as student workers.

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