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AMP Report – January 12, 2007
Nine Muslim workers sue bus company
on Minneapolis
Nine current and former Muslim employees of MV Transportation Inc., a nationwide public transportation company, filed suit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, alleging they were harassed because they are immigrants from East Africa or because of their Muslim faith.
The plaintiffs sued MV Transportation Inc. -- whose trademarked motto is "We Provide Freedom" -- saying that they were called derogatory names, told they had no rights as immigrants, forbidden to speak their native languages even on breaks, and denied promotions, training and other benefits.
The lawsuit also alleges that a company manager read Bible passages to the employees, seven of whom are Muslim, confiscated their prayer rugs and forced them to listen to loud Christian music. They were called names such as "stupid" and "freak show," denied time off on their religious holidays, told they made too much money for the work they performed, and told they should return to their homelands, the suit says.
The company is headquartered in Fairfield, Calif., and has numerous municipal transportation contracts across the country. It touts itself as the largest minority and privately owned passenger transportation firm in the country, with 9,000 employees nationwide, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit charges discrimination based on national origin and religion in violation of federal laws and the Minnesota Human Rights Act, and retaliation and recrimination for reporting the alleged discrimination.
The plaintiffs allege a company supervisor called them "stupid" and "freak shows," confiscated their prayer rugs and forced them to listen to Christian music. The employees said male Muslims were addressed as "Mohammed." The lawsuit also states that the plaintiffs were denied promotions and training opportunities and that some were wrongfully terminated.
The plaintiffs want a judge to declare the company in violation of anti-discrimination laws, an injunction against such behavior, an order that the company adopt policies and practices to prevent such behavior, compensatory damages exceeding $75,000, undeclared punitive damages and attorneys' fees.
The plaintiffs are Seham Nabry of Burnsville; Abdirahman Dalel of Edina; Aklil Abraha of St. Paul; Admassie Guanje of St. Paul; Mohamed Ali of St. Louis Park; Hassan Musse of Minneapolis; Asli Awad of Burnsville; Abdisalan Ali Mohamed of Burnsville; and Ali Ismail of Minneapolis. (Source: Star Tribune/ Pioneer Press)
Capital Times – January 6, 2007
Arab pilot's suit alleges Muslim bias
Kevin Murphy
An Arab-American pilot based in Madison claims he was subjected to racial, religious and ethnic discrimination while training at a company's Memphis, Tenn., headquarters and fired after he complained about it, according to a lawsuit filed recently in federal court.
According to the complaint: Nazeeh Younis, a Muslim, was hired in September 2002 as a pilot and promoted to captain in July 2004 by Pinnacle Airlines, which operates as Northwest Airlink at Dane County Regional Airport and several other locations.
Beginning at a June 23, 2005, training session in Memphis, Pinnacle employee Terry Harvel humiliated Younis in front of other pilots, while other non-Arabs weren't subjected to similar verbal harassment.
Younis complained about the taunts and harassment to Pinnacle's head of line standards and quality assurance but received no response. He then went to Pinnacle's chief pilot, but no action was taken. . .
http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2007/01/06/0701060137.php
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