A federal jury in Michigan recently awarded $1.8 million to a teacher after her former employer refused to allow her to wear a veil while teaching. Hamood v. Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services was brought under both Title VII — which caps damages at $300,000 for large employers — and Michigan law, which does not impose a cap.
The verdict highlights the growing risk of damages for employers in religious accommodation cases. In 2024, a Michigan jury awarded nearly $13 million in Domski v. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, another religious accommodation case brought under both Title VII and state law. More recently, a Kansas jury awarded more than $5 million under state statutes in a workplace accommodation dispute. In addition to state laws expanding damages beyond Title VII’s limits, the Supreme Court’s 2023 Groff v. DeJoy decision made it significantly harder for employers to use cost to deny religious accommodation requests.
Navigating the Reasonable Accommodation Process, a course offered by the Center for Workplace Compliance, our affiliated nonprofit membership association, explores best practices and emerging risk areas. CWC members can read more here.