The U.S. Justice Department is suing Metro, alleging religious discrimination over the transit agency’s policy of barring employees from altering their uniforms to comply with their religious beliefs.
The lawsuit cites the case of Gloria Jones, an Apostolic Pentecostal Christian, who in 2005 applied to be a Metro bus driver but was allegedly denied because her religious beliefs prohibit her from wearing pants, which are part of a bus driver’s uniform.
Metro’s driver uniforms do not include a skirt option.
“WMATA’s policy and practice is to deny all requests for religious accommodations to its uniform policies, regardless of whether reasonable accommodations are available that would resolve the religious conflict without imposing an undue hardship on WMATA,” the Justice Department complaint said.
Such a policy is a violation of a federal law that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, the complaint said.
Metro spokeswoman Angela Gates said the transit agency does not comment on pending litigation, but confirmed that Metro does not allow for any departures from the standard uniform.
“We’re currently reviewing the policy,” Gates said.
The Justice Department is seeking to compel Metro to change its uniform policy and offer jobs and back pay to Jones, as well as any other employees affected by the transit agency’s alleged employment discrimination.
A similar case is pending in Manhattan. A female bus driver, who is also Pentecostal, is suing the city’s transit authority for reinstatement after being fired in 2007 for refusing to wear pants.
