Woman Fired For Eating 'Unclean' Meat

[Doglips]

I did not know that we had such a large muslim community ....that it could supprot at TV station...but this is total BS for the religion of peace.

Woman Fired For Eating 'Unclean' Meat
Attorney: 'It's A Classic Case Of Religious Discrimination'

POSTED: 5:46 am EDT August 4, 2004
UPDATED: 12:45 pm EDT August 4, 2004

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Central Florida woman was fired from her job after eating "unclean" meat and violating a reported company policy that pork and pork products are not permissible on company premises, according to Local 6 News.

Lina Morales was hired as an administrative assistant at Rising Star -- a Central Florida telecommunications company with strong Muslim ties, Local 6 News reported.

However, 10 months after being hired by Rising Star, religious differences led to her termination.

Morales, who is Catholic, was warned about eating pizza with meat the Muslim faith considered "unclean.," Local 6 News reported. She was then fire for eating a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, according to the report.

"Are you telling me they fired you because you had something with ham on it?" Local 6 News reporter Mike Holfeld asked.


"Yes," Morales said.

Holfeld asked, "A pizza and a BLT sandwich?"

" Yes," Morales said.

Local 6 News obtained the termination letter that states she was fired for refusing to comply with company policy that pork and pork products are not permissible on company premises.

However, by the company's own admission to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, that policy is not written, Local 6 News reported.

"Did you ever sign to or agree to anything that said I will not eat pork?" Holfeld asked Morales.

"Never," Morales said. "When I got hired there, they said we don't care what religion you are."

Attorney Travis Hollifield is representing Morales in a lawsuit against the company.


"It's just un-American," Hollifield said. "It's not in compliance with the laws of this country."

Local 6 News reported that the case has precedent-setting issues because it addresses employee rights and religion in the workplace.


"It's a classic case of religious discrimination," Hollifield said. "They have not articulated a single reason other than religious reason behind the policy."

The CEO of Rising Star, Kujaatele Kweli, told Local 6 News that they have tried to create an office that accommodates anybody's religion -- not just Islam.


"Clearly you're accommodating," Holfeld said.

"Yes." Kweli replied.

"And you have an ecumenical philosophy," Holfeld said.

" Yes," Kweli replied.


"(Then) shouldn't you be able to accommodate all faiths in the same lunch room?" Holfeld asked.


"We do, we can," Kweli said.



"But you've dismissed one of your employees for eating pork in the lunch room," Holfeld said.


"Yes, pork is considered unclean," Kweli said.





The Koran forbids Muslims from eating pork. And according to Kweli, Morales and every employee at the company is advised of the no pork policy.

"Our point of view is to respect the laws of the land and the laws of the land as I understand it is to the accommodate people's right to practice their religions if you can," Kweli said.

"Even if it impacts other people?" Holfeld asked.

"Well, it always impacts other people," Kweli replied.

Orlando attorney Mark Nejame is close to the Muslim community, Local 6 News reported. He said Kweli's intentions may cross constitutional parameters, according to the report.

"They're making it seem that if you don't follow a certain set of religious practices and beliefs then you're going to be terminated and that's wrong," Nejame said. "If this case prevails, what it will mean -- the implications of this case -- is it will eliminate accommodations of religion."

Both sides are steadfast in their belief that they are right. Morales is taking the company to court charging discrimination, Local 6 News reported.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.


Copyright 2004 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Shaun]

she violated company policy the firing is good -- remember I have this same arguement with companies banning CCW -- there is no difference in either case.

[whirlwind]

if it was writen down someplace in her contract then they had the right to fire her. she may not have signed anything that said "i will not eat pork" but if she signed an agreement to abide by all company policies,and if in fact the pork rule is writen in a list of company policies then its tuff crap...shes outa a job. but if its not a writen company policy then screw da arabs! she needs to sue em back to the frickin stone age!

[SPOCAHP ANAR]

A local Christian daycare was sued because they fired a single woman for getting pregnant. I am sure they had some kind of morality clause involved. A friend of ours use to manage the program. (but not involved in hiring/firing) Don't know if they ever had to pay out.

I don't know if it will hold Shaun. This decision is clearly based on a religious principle.

The question is where does one's right to their religious belief end and where does another's begin? Can I institute policy that says there are no displays of religion at all; then fire you when I see you saying grace at luch at your desk, or knealing to the east to pray to Allah 3 times a day? This policy is clearly designed to force someone to observe a Muslim principle or religious belief.

The policy should have been written as follows: No food will be allowed on premises and employees should wash their hands after each meal before returning to work. It accomplishes the same thing and treats everyone the same regardless of religious belief.

[Dennis]

I would support Purging the World of the islamic faith.
it would not take that much effort. Once we got started in ernest it would become very hard to find anyone that would claim to be Islamic.
We could start just in America with the Islamic idiot that thinks he can keep people from eating Pork.
if he wants to run his business that way fine, warn everyone first.

What we are seeing in these times is the need for a Muslim
"Reformation"
A new Muslim reliegious sect that is a "protest" sect
a muslim ProtestANT mosque.
if they do not split then the islamic faith is doomed to remain in the 7th century
we will go on and on and on with this.

[PAPA G]

i hope the womans suit goes through, that is ridiculous IMO.

maybe the Ragheads would like to taste some sausage in the can.

[Sniper[MI]]

If it is written, and she knew about it on hiring or the instittution of the policy, tough noogies. If it is not written, then she has a case.

Someone once said, "So let it be written, so let it be done!"

Aside from that, this article made me eat some pork tonight, guess I am unclean............

[Rufus Rhastus J]

Dennis, wouldn't it be nice? But, alas, it is not cool to suggest such things, even though we know it would solve so many current problems! It seems you and I are amoungst the very few willing to make the hard decisions for the betterment of all.

[Rave]

Sounds kind of like the garden of eden syndrome,you can do anything but eat the apple,of course the woman has to eat it ansd suffer the consequences.
The only thing she coundn't do was eat pork so of course she has to do it on company property,what a bimbo!
It's people like her that make so many employers hesitate to hire women.
I'll bet if they told her she would be fired if she ate s*** she would have to do it!
I repeat,what a bimbo!!!!

[EOD Guy]

To play Devil's advocate here, the woman was not fired for eating pork. She was fired for bringing it onto company property. She could of eaten all the BLT sandwiches she wanted to off the property.

[7mmag6]

i knew a whore in saigon that ate unclean meat

[Stopper]

So your saying you didn't bother to shower back then before hitt'n mama-sans house of indignit behavior and soda pop stand.

[Rave]

Hoo,Haa,that's a good one,snort,wheeze,rattle.

[toolman]

However, by the company's own admission to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, that policy is not written, Local 6 News reported.

"nuff said! If it's not important enough to put on paper, then it's not worth consideration! Besides, if you're in the U.S., hiring other U.S. citizens, claiming to accomodate other religions, how in the HE LL can you dictate what your employees eat? I can produce a bucket of sumpin' that that they can eat that, ironically, they don't have a problem with!!!

[Rufus Rhastus J]

Another point not made yet is, we allow them to share the freedom of America. Why, then, are we surprised that these foul vermin are useing our laws against us? It seems they desire tolerance from us, with respect [word used in the loosest of terms] to thier freedoms but, the street, apparently, is only one way. Like we say to yankees here, in the third world state of Florida: "If you don't like it here, I-95 goes north!" So we should say to these camel molesters: "Get on back to your foul smelling third world city, we sure don't need you here."