Teen Sues Burger King Over Uniform, A high school senior says the chain fired her instead of letting her wear a skirt to work. Christian Woman Fired from Burger King for Wearing Skirt Instead of Pants, A Texas teenager is suing Burger King for religious discrimination, saying that the fast food giant fired her, a conservative Christian, for wearing a long skirt, rather than uniform pants, to work.
Ashanti McShan was a 17-year-old high school senior when she applied for a job as a cashier at the Grand Prairie Burger King in August 2010, according to the lawsuit filed on her behalf this week by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. During her interview McShan, who is a Pentacostal Christian, said that her religious beliefs forbid women to wear men’s clothing, so she would need to be able to wear a long black skirt rather than the standard-issue uniform pants. The Burger King employee interviewing her “assured her that she could wear a skirt to work,” the lawsuit says.
But when she arrived for orientation, another store management told her that she could not wear a skirt “and that she had to leave the store,” in spite of her explaining that there was a religious issue at stake, according to the lawsuit.
“The result of the foregoing practices has been to deprive Ashanti McShan of equal employment opportunities because of her religious beliefs and observances as a Christian Pentecostal,” the lawsuit states. The incident could be a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars religious discrimination in the workplace.
