Abercrombie & Fitch Violated Federal Law by Firing a Muslim Woman for Wearing a Head Scarf, Judge Rules
Abercrombie & Fitch violated federal law by firing a Muslim woman for wearing a head scarf as her religion requires, a federal judge has ruled.
As a Muslim woman, Umme-Hani Khan wears a head scarf, also known as a hijab, when in public or in the presence of men who are not immediate family members.
Abercrombie fired Khan after she refused to remove her headscarf. The company claimed the headscarf violated their “Look Policy,” which forbids employees from wearing headwear. The clothing retailer said its Look Policy is part of a marketing strategy and creates “an ‘in-store experience’ for customers that conveys the principal elements and personality of each Abercrombie brand.”
Abercrombie considers the in-store experience to be its main form of marketing and expects sales associate to “reinforce the aspirational lifestyles represented by the brands” and be “a central element in creating the atmosphere of the stores.”
Although Khan’s supervisors never informed her she was not complying with the Look Policy and permitted her to wear her headscarf so long as it matched company colors, Khan’s employment was terminated after her store’s district manager paid a visit. Khan’s refusal to remove her hijab was the sole reason for her termination.