Menzies Aviation to Pay $55,000 in EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit Over Sabbath Scheduling Request

MIAMI - Menzies Aviation (USA), Inc., a nationwide aviation logistics services provider, will pay $55,000 and implement significant policy and training reforms to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC suit, Menzies Aviation failed to accommodate a Fort Lauderdale-based employee's sincerely held religious beliefs which precluded her from working during her Sabbath observance, from Friday sundown through Saturday. Because of the company's refusal of her request, the employee was forced to quit in December 2023.

"Employers need to be aware of their obligations under federal law to provide reasonable religious accommodations," said EEOC Miami Regional Attorney Kristen Foslid. "We appreciate Menzies Aviation's cooperation in resolving this matter and its commitment to implementing policy changes and training that will help ensure compliance going forward."

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to reasonably accommodate employees sincerely held religious beliefs unless doing so would pose an undue hardship. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Menzies Aviation (USA), Inc., Case No. Case No. 8:26-cv-01270-JLB-CPT) in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida after first attempting to resolve the matter through its administrative conciliation process.

Miami District Director Evangeline Hawthorne added, "This resolution highlights the EEOC's commitment to ensuring employees can uphold their sincerely held religious beliefs without fear of losing their jobs. Employers must take proactive steps to train their workforce and implement policies that comply with federal law."

Under the five-year consent decree resolving the lawsuit, Menzies Aviation will pay $55,000 in compensatory damages to the former employee. The company will also implement a comprehensive religious accommodation policy, provide regular training to managers and employees on religious discrimination and accommodation obligations, and report complaints and accommodation requests to the EEOC.

For more information on religious discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination .

The Miami District Office's jurisdiction includes Florida, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .