Monday, April 27, 2015
Jewish worker's suit in Collier alleges religious bias
A Collier County Sheriff's Office employee filed a lawsuit against the department Monday in federal court, alleging religious discrimination by the agency.
Benjamin Newmark claims in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers that he endured discrimination from the agency for observing tenets of his Hasidic Jewish faith.
"It involves discrimination based on religious beliefs," said Nancy Abudu, legal director for the ACLU of Florida, who's representing Newmark. "Especially for the Collier County Sheriff's Office to act this way toward one of its employees, we find that to be egregious."
Newmark also alleges that he was retaliated against by the department after filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He was forced to shave his beard and was prohibited from wearing a yarmulke, both important parts of Hasidic Judaism, and demoted from the agency's Gang Unit to a jail technician, according to the lawsuit.
The sheriff's office issued a brief statement about the litigation.
"It is not appropriate for us to comment on pending litigation beyond saying that we will defend the case appropriately. Ultimately, the outcome will be decided by the court system," Collier County Sheriff's spokesperson Karie Partington said.
The allegations began in 2009 when Newmark requested religious accommodations, including being allowed to keep his beard and cover his head, along with having certain religious holidays off. Following that request, members of the department made multiple derogatory remarks to Newmark about his religion. The comments include being asked what part of Jerusalem he was from, having a Nazi iron cross flag placed outside his cubicle and being called a "weird, hairy little Jewish man," according to the lawsuit.
Newmark filed EEOC complaints in 2010 and 2012, and in April 2014, the commission found that the sheriff's office violated his rights. The office declined to engage in settlement talks and the case was forwarded to the U.S. Department of Justice for review, according to the lawsuit.
In January the DOJ issued a statement that it found no grounds for discrimination and advised the parties they had 90 days to file suit.
http://www.news-press.com/story/news/2015/04/27/collier-sheriff-employee-sues-discrimination/26474545/
Benjamin Newmark claims in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers that he endured discrimination from the agency for observing tenets of his Hasidic Jewish faith.
"It involves discrimination based on religious beliefs," said Nancy Abudu, legal director for the ACLU of Florida, who's representing Newmark. "Especially for the Collier County Sheriff's Office to act this way toward one of its employees, we find that to be egregious."
Newmark also alleges that he was retaliated against by the department after filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He was forced to shave his beard and was prohibited from wearing a yarmulke, both important parts of Hasidic Judaism, and demoted from the agency's Gang Unit to a jail technician, according to the lawsuit.
The sheriff's office issued a brief statement about the litigation.
"It is not appropriate for us to comment on pending litigation beyond saying that we will defend the case appropriately. Ultimately, the outcome will be decided by the court system," Collier County Sheriff's spokesperson Karie Partington said.
The allegations began in 2009 when Newmark requested religious accommodations, including being allowed to keep his beard and cover his head, along with having certain religious holidays off. Following that request, members of the department made multiple derogatory remarks to Newmark about his religion. The comments include being asked what part of Jerusalem he was from, having a Nazi iron cross flag placed outside his cubicle and being called a "weird, hairy little Jewish man," according to the lawsuit.
Newmark filed EEOC complaints in 2010 and 2012, and in April 2014, the commission found that the sheriff's office violated his rights. The office declined to engage in settlement talks and the case was forwarded to the U.S. Department of Justice for review, according to the lawsuit.
In January the DOJ issued a statement that it found no grounds for discrimination and advised the parties they had 90 days to file suit.
http://www.news-press.com/story/news/2015/04/27/collier-sheriff-employee-sues-discrimination/26474545/
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