Chipotle faces Lawsuit over religious harassment of a former Muslim employee in Kansas

TOPEKA, Kansas – The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued Chipotle, alleging religious harassment towards a former Muslim employee, Areej Saifan, in Kansas.

Saifan claims that an assistant manager continually pestered her over several weeks to reveal her hair by removing her hijab.

The situation escalated on August 9, 2021, when the assistant manager allegedly confronted Saifan and forcefully removed part of her hijab, publicly revealing her hair.

Although she reported the incident to superiors, Saifan felt compelled to resign the next day due to inadequate management response to the harassment.

Chipotle’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Laurie Schalow, stated the company has a strict anti-discrimination policy, and the involved employee has since been dismissed.

“Chipotle’s engaged and hard-working employees are what makes us great, and we encourage our employees to contact us immediately, including through an anonymous 800 number, with any concerns so we can investigate and respond quickly to make things right,” Schalow said Sunday.

However, the EEOC contends that the manager’s termination, which occurred on August 20, 2021, was due to an unrelated consensual relationship with a fellow employee.

Chipotle has not clarified the specific reasons for his dismissal.

Moreover, the lawsuit alleges that following Saifan’s resignation, Chipotle did not schedule her for her final two weeks and essentially forced her out.

The EEOC is seeking a jury trial and is urging Chipotle to implement policies ensuring equal opportunities for all religious employees.