LONDON — A British Airways employee who was barred from wearing a small Christian cross around her neck while at work has lost her claim against the airline for religious discrimination.
An employment tribunal ruled Jan. 8 that Nadia Eweida had brought the problem on herself when she breached British Airways’ dress code regulations, which banned the open wearing of such religious symbols.
Eweida’s attorneys, from the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, announced immediately they would appeal the court ruling on grounds that “Christian employees should not be singled out for discrimination.”
Eweida, 56, works as a check-in worker at London’s Heathrow airport. She argued that she, as a Christian, had been ordered to remove her religious jewelry while Muslim and Sikh employees of the airline were permitted to wear headscarves and Kara bangles, respectively.
“It’s a form of discrimination against Christians,” she claimed, and said she was “very disappointed” by the tribunal’s decision.
Benjamin Bull, the chief counsel for the Arizona attorneys, said in a statement that “the airline took no action against employees of other religions who wore jewelry or symbols of their religion. That type of intolerance is inconsistent with the values of civilized communities around the world.”
British Airways, in a statement, contended that “we have always maintained that our uniform policy did not discriminate against Christians,” but it conceded that since Eweida’s case erupted in October 2006, it had revised and eased its dress code.
“Our current policy,” the airline said, “allows symbols of faith to be worn openly and has been developed with multifaith groups and our staff.”
Eweida testified that she rejected the airline’s offer to settle for about $17,000, saying, “I cannot be gagged about my faith.”
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