Abercrombie Wrongly Fired Muslim Employee, Judge Says

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Abercrombie & Fitch violated anti-discrimination laws when it fired a Muslim worker who insisted on wearing a head scarf, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled Tuesday.

The retailer fired Hani Khan from its Hollister store in San Mateo, Calif., in 2010. The company said its dress code was part of its marketing strategy and claimed that the deviation would affect sales, the Associated Press reports.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said there was no “credible evidence” that the head scarf hurt sales. A jury will consider the company’s liability later this month.

Abercrombie’s so-called “look policy” that allegedly favors young white people has come under fire before, including in 2004, when a federal class action brought by black, Hispanic, and Asian employees and job applicants was settled for $40 million.

[AP]