CHICAGO — A Federal Express (FedEx) employee has prevailed in a lawsuit accusing the shipping giant of discrimination in failing to accommodate his religious beliefs.
FedEx discriminated against Eric Weathers by refusing to allow him to answer questions from co-workers about the Bible and his faith and ordering him not to disclose to others his bachelor’s degree in Bible and youth ministry from The Master’s College, U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang ruled in Weathers v. FedEx.
“Weathers’ superiors told him that he could not discuss religion, even if asked, and he was told that he must affirmatively misrepresent his college degree,” Chang wrote. “FedEx supervisors tied Weathers’ hands … on a topic of great importance to him and did not bother to respond to his request for an accommodation.”
Failure to accommodate a religious practice constitutes religious discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Weathers, who worked as a sales manager, filed the suit regarding FedEx’s response when a co-worker complained that Weathers quoted Scripture at work and made her uncomfortable by discussing his religious beliefs. Weathers was eventually demoted. He resigned his job and sued the company.
Weathers and FedEx have reached a confidential settlement.
Share with others: