The U.S. Department of Justice and the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) have reached a settlement in a lawsuit that accused the transit agency of religious discrimination.
The suit alleged that the MTA violated antibias law by refusing to consider accommodations for bus operators who, for religious reasons, were precluded from complying with the MTA’s requirement that bus operators be available to work at all times, including on weekends, any shift, and at any location. The lawsuit also charged that the MTA discriminated against Henry Asher, who is Jewish, by refusing to consider accommodating Asher’s religious practice of observing the Sabbath from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday.
Under the settlement, the MTA will be required to make certain accommodations available to bus operators and applicants for bus operator positions who, because of religious obligations, are precluded from complying with the transit agency’s availability requirements. The settlement also provides for a $20,000 payment to Asher.
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