Dearborn McDonald’s Sued By 2 Muslim Women
Women say manager insulted them, refused them jobs because of their traditional Islamic dress.
Gregg Krupa ( The Detroit News)
DEARBORN — Two Muslim women say the manager of a McDonald’s restaurant refused to hire them and insulted them during job interviews because they wear traditional Islamic dress.
Toi Whitfield, 20, of Detroit, and Quiana Pugh, 25, of Dearborn, filed a lawsuit Thursday in Wayne County Circuit Court against McDonald’s, the owner of the local franchise and its unnamed manager. Their representative said they are considering filing civil rights complaints with the federal and state governments.
“I applied for the McDonald’s position maybe two weeks ago and he simply (told me) I had to make a choice and remove my hijab, or I would not be able to establish employment there,” Pugh said. “When I walked away, I was definitely hurt by it and disturbed. I was confused that it could happen here in Dearborn, with so many Muslims.”
Hijab is an Arabic word meaning “cover.” It refers to traditional Islamic dress, intended to encourage modesty, in which women often cover everything but the hands and face.
Finley Management Inc., which runs the franchise, said in a statement it has not been notified of the lawsuit.
“Finley Management has a strict policy prohibiting any form of discrimination with regard to race, gender, religion or national origin, in hiring, or in any other aspect of employment,” the statement read. “We would caution anyone from jumping to conclusions without having all the facts.”
McDonald’s publishes a corporate handbook with a chapter titled “Our Commitment to Employees,” which says that the world’s largest fast food chain forbids discrimination in employment.
“Each of our employees throughout the world deserves to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity,” the policy statement reads. “We provide equal opportunity for employees and applicants.”
The restaurant in question sits amid one of the largest concentrations of commercial businesses for Arab-Americans in the country. Like many of the national chain fast-food establishments in the area, it has long served some halal food, which conforms to Muslim dietary requirements.
“This manager must have just stepped off of some spaceship to think he can do this in this back yard, in Dearborn,” said Nabih Ayad, a civil rights lawyer who represents the women.
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations-Michigan, said that he has eaten at McDonald’s restaurants in Turkey that cater to Muslims and employ them, including numerous women who cover.
“It is extremely disturbing that such discrimination could take place at a location which does not mind collecting Muslim dollars, yet places restriction on Muslim women who wear hijab.”
Whitfield said the manager told her she could not wear her headscarf because, “It gets too hot back there.”
“I hope that they learn from their mistakes,” she said. “They should not discriminate against people. Everyone should have an equal chance to work at McDonald’s.”
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
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If they are hired, how long before they demand that pork products be removed from the building, do you think?
July 25th, 2008 at 8:04 am“Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations-Michigan, said that he has eaten at McDonald’s restaurants in Turkey that cater to Muslims”
You did not you lying sack of shit. You’re just causing trouble.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:07 amThere is no place for Islam in America. Especially not CAIR.
Am I wrong or does every McDonalds in the country have a requirement to wear corporate approved uniforms? This smells like an Islamic version of Jesse Jackson’s tactic of “corporate blackmail”. I get the feeling that a little cash thrown in the right direction might make this go away.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:10 amsame thing happened here, in allentown pa, there is another suit being filed.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:11 amFuck them….and thats about all. Didnt sound like he insulted them. Wow it would have been a huge lawsuit if their rags would have started on fire while flipping burgers. Its a safety hazard, and I don’t give a shit what they do in Turkey.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:12 amThe lowdown on the shithead ‘Dawud Walid’…
http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsarticle.php?articleid=4728
from the link:
“The bigger concerns are the culture of the United States military is prone to decadence.”
July 25th, 2008 at 8:25 amwho gives a rats ass about these 2. i sure dont and this lawsuit is ridiculous. i have never seen an employee at mcdonalds wear anything other than the mcdonalds uniforms and a visor.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Sorry Bitch, no do-rags! 
July 25th, 2008 at 8:46 amBeen there and done that up here in Canadaistan… The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a CANADIAN CULTURAL ICON caved to Sikh demands to wear turbans as part of the uniform, so as not to DISCRIMINATE against them.
Picture it if you can - that spit and polished RCMP uniform topped by a TURBAN 
God help us up here 
July 25th, 2008 at 8:59 amStick the bitch’s on a plane and send them back to whatever third world shithole they came from, problem solved. What’s so hard about that, hey if they want to work at McDonald’s then send their asses to that one in Turkey and be done with them.
Ask and you shall receive ….. POOF! your out of here!
July 25th, 2008 at 9:08 am“..send them back to whatever third world shithole they came from”
That third world shithole they came from is their own fucked up mind. They were born here. Given names that were NOT muslim. The POS you always see on TV defending Islam, Ibrahim Hooper,…. his real name is Doug Hooper. Fucking poser dedicated to the overthrow of democracy and individual liberty in favor of sharia.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:21 ammuslims taking over the world through lawsuits.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:24 amAnd these are called the peaceful muslims. The ones who don’t want to engage in jihad. That’s crap. They may not be physically fighting but they are engaged in political jihad.
CAIR = Political Terrorist going about their mandate to destroy us from within. They are also just waiting for their great hope of performing physical jihad here.
I’m with those above who say, fly their asses to any jihadi country and leave them. I’d prefer to call them what they are and end them and their call to jihad.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:33 amThe sooner we rid the fucking world of muslims the better.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:34 am“Toi Whitfield, 20, of Detroit, and Quiana Pugh, 25, of Dearborn…”
My guess is, these bitches are married/linked to prison converts. And from there, they learn the in’s and out’s of muzz victimization.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:37 amCan I order a McBacon?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:12 amBitch if you can’t assimilate and follow our laws and our customs then scram. Go back to your Islamo-tard utopia.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:22 amA couple of hood rats that found allah and in the process lost common sense
July 25th, 2008 at 10:25 amThe Nation of Islam is at it again.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:31 amI think McDonalds should start their own religion and require every follower has to wear their uniform. You could also make pork a sacrament.
Stupid Muslims!
July 25th, 2008 at 10:32 amWhen they take over world as leftards bend over for them - those golden arches will come to stand for Mohammed’s.
Drive through halal is what they’re aiming for initially..
July 25th, 2008 at 10:47 amIf they don’t like the dress code and policy, then find another job somewhere else.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:47 amI as a customer DEMAND that the person serving me at McDonalds be wearing a traditional McDonalds uniform. If they’re not, I will sue.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:02 amAlso, why are so many mooselimb women fat? Ever notice how many are just flobbering heavyweights? I guess I’d wear my bed sheets around too if I looked like they do. Cover it up hoggies, you look real bad!
July 25th, 2008 at 11:05 am
CBL
July 25th, 2008 at 11:57 am“whitfield” and “pugh”-sounds like a couple of hood rats with a scam.who’s gonna get there first,jackson,sharpton or the aclu?
“I was confused that it could happen here in Dearborn, with so many Muslims.”
That, my friends is a frightening statement. Think about what that means at a cultural level to the frame of thinking in a concentrated population like that.
Sounds like there is an approaching level of expectation amongst a concentration of certain religious minority.
Does that make you think that there is not more of that type of thinking waiting for the opportunity to impose itself on our already established laws and regulations?
If you aren’t a little frightened by that statement you should be.
July 25th, 2008 at 12:45 pmSharia law being recognized is the next.
Listen up Dearborn muzzies! If you have a difficult daughter, just hold on, soon you will be able to chop off her head legally!
July 25th, 2008 at 1:06 pmHood rats don’t have common sense to begin with.
Fucking disgraceful. First the Mexicans and now the Muzzies.
July 25th, 2008 at 1:09 pmif i wore a giant cross on my head or a crown of thorns i’ll bet that the manager would not allow me to wear it while working
see? they DON’T discriminate against who they make take shit off their heads
July 25th, 2008 at 2:00 pmThis stinks like a muslim foot bath.
July 25th, 2008 at 2:01 pmAnd to think that Dearborn is named after one of the American heroes at the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775 in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Henry Dearborn to be exact.
July 25th, 2008 at 2:17 pmThese two sisters-in-the-hood need a big fat reality check as in go live in freaking Somalia or Nigeria for a while. Then see how wonderful the good-’ole U.S.A. is.
Just a pathetic piece of work.
No you cannot serve McAkbar today or any other day.
Get a job with al Qaeda or the Hezbos. You are already wearing the uniform.
July 25th, 2008 at 2:35 pmThe same type of thing that is going on up in MN around the airport happened to me here in the Chicago area just a couple of weeks ago.
I needed to stop at a liquor store to get a 12 pack before going to a friends house to play poker. The cabbie told me I would have to get a different cab because he would not take me to the liquor store and on from there.
Fuckin’ ignorant assholes if you ask me. The Gov’t makes Christian pharmacists dispense abortion pills against their religion but it is ok not to drive me with a 12 pack of beer.
In the words of the “Borg”: We will be asimulated! Resistance is futile!!
July 25th, 2008 at 2:52 pmMy answer …. I would just shut the store down. Put a big sign on… “Due to impending capricious litigation sponsored by Muslim activists It is no longer fiscally viable to operate this business in this neighborhood”.
Attention all Dearborn MI non-muslims… please depart immediatly so we can make it a free fire zone.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:54 pm“Discrimination” - What a crock and what cowardice will be on McDonald’s side if they cave.
If discrimination can be defined as someone not allowing me to do something because of my religious beliefs, then the whole U.S. Government has discriminated against me!
It is my religious belief that abortion is evil, but the government will not allow me to withhold paying my tax share for that abomination.
July 25th, 2008 at 5:31 pmThe United States and it’s private businesses do not have to conform the standards of other cultures. Europe is already pretty close to being taken over by political correctness, it’s only a matter of time before the U.S does if we don’t stand up. You don’t like the food because it contains something your religious “laws” tell you can’t eat it? Eat somewhere else. You don’t like the United States culture? Just get out. Stop trying to turn a country founded for religious freedom into the next Mecca.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:51 pmJJIrons LOL Cover it up hoggies. Problem is they are covering up the wrong end!!
July 25th, 2008 at 10:36 pmJudith, tyoical White Ohioan,
You have an excellent point!
July 26th, 2008 at 5:47 am
July 29th, 2008 at 9:56 pmCorrect me if I am wrong but most retail corporations have a dress code which is consistant throughout. More and more schools are even doing it. If I go to a McDonald’s, I want to see consistancy. I don’t want a punk with 15 earings in his or her face, redneck with a had that says booty hunter, or even someone dressed like the Pope, and no head wraps. Hey, they can open up their own business and wear whatever they want . I wont be there. If our curtent court system is going to dictate how we choose to run a business then ther American Dream is over. Maybe it’s time to find another America out there.