Walmart settles JW religious discrimination lawsuit

by darkspilver 8 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  darkspilver

  PennRecord, Monday 20 March 2017
  

  In his lawsuit, Pressley claimed a Wal-Mart store manager remarked to him: “You don’t have to go to those meetings. You can be spiritual here,”

  Pressley then claimed a store manager gave him an ultimatum to either stop attending his meetings or be fired.
  

  Wal-Mart and ex-assistant manager who claimed religious discrimination settle lawsuit

  PHILADELPHIA – Litigation between a former Wal-Mart assistant manager and the prominent retailer over the ex-employee claiming he was discriminated against and harassed due to his Jehovah’s Witness religious beliefs has been settled, according to court records.

  Lamontt Pressley filed a lawsuit on Nov. 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Wal-Mart Stores East L.P., pursuant to alleged violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA).
  

  READ MORE: http://pennrecord.com/stories/511093729-wal-mart-and-ex-assistant-manager-who-claimed-religious-discrimination-settle-lawsuit

  Posted 11:00 EDT, Monday, 20 March 2017
  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5714189639221248/_post/6546826696065024
  
  
• 

  snowbird

  http://jwemployees.bravehost.com/index.html

  Mr. Pressley's case is mentioned at this site.

  The gig is up for JW's duplicity.

  Sylvia
• 

  darkspilver

  LAMONTT M. PRESSLEY v. WAL-MART is a highly interesting ongoing 2015-16 Pennsylvania federal employment discrimination case which involves a 47 year-old African-American Jehovah's Witnesss Minister named Lamontt Pressley, aka Lamont Pressley, aka Lamont M. Presley, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lamontt M. Pressley was employed at Wal-mart's Wyncote store from October 2010 until he was fired in February 2014. Pressley claims that he was an Assistant Manager at the time of his termination, and that one of the Walmart store's higher managers gave Pressley an ultimatum to stop attending the Sunday and Wednesday evening meetings at his local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, or be fired. Pressley further alleges that upper management informed him on the day of his firing that they would no longer "accommodate" Pressley's attending two weekly meetings at the Kingdom Hall. Lamontt Pressley thereafter filed a complaint with the EEOC in August 2014 claiming religious discrimination, harassment, and hostile work environment. Instead of immediately jumping on this seemingly "slam-dunk" case, the EEOC took until August 2015 to simply issue a Right-To-Sue Letter to Pressley. Pressley's own private attorney filed this action in November 2015 seeking equitable, punitive, and other damages. Outcome pending.
  

  http://jwemployees.bravehost.com/NewsReports/2011.html
  
• 

  snowbird

  I remember taking off my job to attend a convention without my boss's permission.

  I was worried the entire four days.

  Picture it: A divorced Black female with a small child in the Black Belt of Alabama putting her job on the line for, what???

  SMH.

  Sylvia
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  Hecce

  I think that he was right in his complaint, the only item in favor of Walmart will be whether he was fired or quit. Even if he quit, he could show that it was the result of the changes to his work schedule.

  The law is on his side.
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  OnTheWayOut

  The case was settled. There is enough of a problem for Walmart that they paid out. Sadly, it should really have nothing to do with a "religious requirement" to attend meetings twice weekly. He has a schedule. He can't work Wednesday eve and a few hours on Sunday.
  
  The problem is that they did accommodate him for some time. The only legitimate move by the Walmart store would be to change the rules on Assistant Managers and their availability, then offer to demote him if he couldn't work with that.
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  steve2

  Good on him for pursuing the case. Unfair dismissal due to religious beliefs/obligations has a long history in the American and other workforces. One notable religious group, 7th-Day Adventists, has been willing to take the matter to employment courts and enjoyed considerable success.
  
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  stuckinarut2

  The irony is that the Society demands of witnesses that they don't work certain times....or face threats of judgement. When the shoe is on the other foot, witnesses claim harassment!
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  nowwhat?

  Wow! an assistant manager at Wal-Mart. He must be one of the more successful jdubs!