17-year-old Ashanti McShan is suing the fast-food chain Burger King because the company fired the high-school student for refusing to wear pants as opposed to a skirt as a uniform.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed suit on behalf of McShain against the Grand Prairie Burger King in Texas on Friday, August 25.
McShan, who is a conservative Pentacostal Christian, refused to wear pants as a part of the Burger King uniform, on religious grounds.
McShan was hired in August 2010 for the position of cashier at the restaurant. The interviewer assured her that she would be permitted to wear a skirt instead of pants due to her religious background.
McShan is being represented by attorney Meaghan Shepard. The lawsuit reads: "The legal standard is 'undue hardship,' and in this instance it was a very simple request - to be able to wear a long black skirt and not black pants - and it was initially granted. And then she shows up at orientation, on time, and is then told by the manager to leave and that she couldn't wear a skirt. She was responsible, tried to get in touch with someone higher in the franchise, and they never responded to her. In our eyes, it was so clear-cut. She's a very sweet, articulate young lady who was just trying to work her senior year in high school," as reported by the Inquisitr.
Burger King is yet to comment on the lawsuit. However McShan and her lawyer are confident that their argument that company was discriminatory to the high-school student's religious beliefs is a strong claim. Shepard says that allowing McShan to wear a skirt instead of pants could not impair the joint's business. Plus the fact that McShan was upfront about her request prior to even accepting the job works well in her favor.
