In a historic settlement on September 8th, the Department of Justice entered into an agreement with the School District of Philadelphia, which resolved a religious accommodations lawsuit filed in March of 2014. Our own Raheemah Abdulaleem, Esq., the KARAMAH Vice President/Secretary, was instrumental in helping the government win the landmark settlement. Serving as senior Justice Department Lawyer in the Civil Rights Division, she fought on behalf of a veteran Muslim security officer working for Philadelphia public schools.
The case alleged that the security officer was disciplined for wearing a beard, despite efforts to obtain reasonable religious accommodations. It is important to note that when he requested an accommodation to the grooming policy, the school district denied his religious accommodations request and then disciplined him for violating the policy. The complaint also alleged that the district maintained a discriminatory policy, because it routinely denied all accommodation requests to the grooming policy.
We are proud of the work of Ms. Abdulaleem, as it serves to uphold KARAMAH’s belief in equity for all, regardless of religion, gender or other differences. We hold hope for a future in which prejudice and ignorance are eradicated. These have been major factors in denying people dignity and liberty. We at KARAMAH are proud of the work of trailblazers like Ms. Abdulaleem and wholeheartedly congratulate her efforts.
EN 
AR