Saturday October 30, 2021
A spokesperson for The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced a federal charge of discrimination against Chipotle on behalf of 18-year-old Samira Gure.
ATLANTA (CBS46) — The Georgia chapter of a organization dedicated to advocating for the civil rights of Muslin-Americans is taking on the fast-food industry.
A spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced a federal charge of discrimination against Chipotle on behalf of 18-year-old Samira Gure.
The Somali-American Muslim woman, who attends college at Fort Hays University in Kansa, alleges she was subjected to gender, racial and religious discrimination while working for the fast-food chain in Tucker.
Gure, now 18, says she started working at this Chipotle in Tucker Georgia just a couple weeks after her 16th birthday.
"I have nine siblings and all I wanted to do is work part-time on the weekends to support my family expenses," Gure said.
It was her first job and she tells CBS46 she didn't initially know much about how employees should be treated in the workplace.
"During the three years I worked at Chipotle, I was a victim of Islamophobia, Xenaphobia, and sexism. My coworkers and managers made me feel like I did not belong," Gure said. "I felt completely broken, disrespected, violated, very undervalued," she continued.
Samira says she often complained to the very managers who participated in ridiculing her.
"Another manager asked me about Al-Queda, al-Shabaab, Osama Bin Laden and Palestine on a nearly daily basis as if I had some special insight," Gure said. "On several occasions coworkers harassed me for choosing to wear modest clothing. A manager went as far as touching my hijab to feel the length of my hair."
She says she also went to Chipotle’s cooperate HR, but the issues persisted. She said she finally quit after she didn't receive a response from human resources.
She’s is now backed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) who are suing Chipotle in a federal discrimination complaint.
"What Samira detailed today is tantamount to discrimination in the form of a hostile work environment in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964," said Nicole Foster, a civil rights attorney, CAIR-Georgia.
They’re calling on Chipotle to implement better anti-discrimination training.
CBS46 has reached out to Chipotle but has not received a response at this time.
CAIR-Georgia says they're a similar incident involving a Chipotle happened in Kansas. They are working to protect Muslims in the workplace across the country.