United States Third Circuit

In the EEOC's Title VII suit on behalf of a class of Muslim women employees against a private company that was contracted to run a prison for Delaware County, claiming that defendant violated Title VII's prohibitions on religious discrimination when it failed to accommodate the class members by providing them an exception to the prison's dress policy that otherwise precluded them from wearing Muslim head coverings called khimars at work, a grant of defendant's motion for summary judgment is affirmed as the district court did not err by relying on Webb v. City of Philadelphia, 562 F.3d 256 (3d. Cir. 2009), which held that, notwithstanding the sincere religious beliefs of plaintiff police officer of the need to wear a khimar, that belief was subordinate to the police department's policy prohibiting the wearing of a khimar because "safety is undoubtedly an interest of the greatest importance."

Appellate Information

• Argued 02/11/2010
• Decided 08/02/2010
• Published 08/02/2010

Judges

• SLOVITER

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Dawn M. Edge, John P. Gonzales