(Image via SamanthaIman)
Samantha Elauf is a fashion blogger in her 20’s. When she was 17, she applied for a model/sales associate position at Abercrombie & Fitch in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A manager told Samantha, a muslim, that she was a good candidate, but unfortunately she couldn’t be hired because her of her headscarf, according to a document filed with the EEOC. Abercrombie stated in an appeal that Elauf did not inform the company of her headscarf being a necessary part of her regular attire.
The retailer has since changed it’s “Look Policy” to include headscarves, but still emphasizes how important appearance is for employees of the company,
“Abercrombie expends a great deal of effort to ensure that its target customers receive a holistically brand-based, sensory experience,” Abercrombie’s brief stated. “To Abercrombie, a Model who violates the Look Policy by wearing inconsistent clothing ‘inaccurately represents the brand, causes consumer confusion, fails to perform an essential function of the position, and ultimately damages the brand.”
Abercrombie’s “Look Policy” has come under fire on many different occasions over the past few years. A date has not yet been set for the first hearing before the Supreme Court.
[…] Despite paying out $71,000 in 2013 to settle discrimination lawsuits and even fighting a case all the way to the Supreme Court, it appears that not much has changed at the massive international retailer known for shirtless […]