WASHINGTON -- A pants suit involving neither a crusading former District judge nor Hillary Rodham Clinton was settled by the Justice Department and Metro.
A lawsuit filed in federal court accused Washington's transit agency of religious discrimination against a woman of the Apostolic Pentecostal faith because she was unable to comply with Metro's uniform policy, the Associated Press reported. Gloria Jones said she wasn't hired as a bus driver because her religious beliefs prohibit her from wearing pants, which are part of the uniform. Jones requested an accommodation that would have allowed her to wear a skirt.
The Justice Department announced Tuesday that Metro has agreed to pay more than $47,000 to Jones and $2,500 each to two others who say Metro didn't accommodate their beliefs, according to AP.
Metro also must implement a policy to reasonably accommodate employees' religious practices and train its supervisors on religious discrimination.
"This settlement agreement sends a clear message that the Department of Justice will not tolerate religious discrimination by employers," said Loretta King, the acting assistant attorney general for the civil rights Division. "I am pleased that WMATA has agreed to end its discriminatory practice and put into place mechanisms to protect the religious practices of its current and future employees."
The agreement still must be approved by the court.
