Kentucky Staffing Firm Settles EEOC Suit

A Lexington, Kentucky, staffing agency, agreed to provide back pay and $5,000 in compensatory damages to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported today. The suit alleged staffing firm The Patty Tipton Company denied employment to a woman because she refused to wear pants for religious reasons.

University of Kentucky student Megan Woodard is a member of a fundamentalist Baptist church whose members believe women should not dress like men, including refraining from wearing pants, according to the EEOC. Woodard applied for a temporary job at the 2010 World Equestrian Games held in Lexington, but was denied a position due to her request for the religious accommodation to not wear pants.

The settlement also provides for injunctive relief including anti-discrimination training, reporting of discrimination claims, and a prohibition against any discrimination or retaliation under Title VII.

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