Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, EEOC NEWS—New lawsuits allege religious and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, (Jul 9, 2025)

By Jonathan Anderson

One employer allegedly fired a worker for posting Bible verses on his personal social media account, while two other employers allegedly refused Sabbath accommodations.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced five new lawsuits against employers in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Georgia. Three suits allege religious discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. One suit alleges sexual harassment under Title VII. Another suit alleges disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Religious discrimination. FCA US, LLC, an international automobile manufacturer of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat car brands, violated Title VII by refusing to provide religious accommodation to a Michigan employee and then terminating him for practicing his faith, according to a lawsuit filed by the EEOC. The lawsuit alleges that although FCA initially excused the employee from working during the Jewish Sabbath, the company later revoked the accommodation. Subsequently, the employee obtained a position and schedule that did not conflict with his observance of the Jewish Sabbath. However, FCA later instituted mandatory Saturday work, which conflicted with the employee’s religious beliefs, and the company allegedly disciplined him for attendance violations for not working during the Sabbath. The employee complained of FCA’s discriminatory actions, but the employer continued to issue him attendance violations. Three months after the employee filed a charge of discrimination against FCA, the company denied the employee’s request to be excused from work for two days, without pay, to observe Passover. Because the employee chose to observe Passover rather than work, FCA disciplined him for more attendance violations, then fired him.

The EEOC filed its lawsuit in the Eastern District of Michigan; the case is No. 25-cv-11675.

Religious discrimination. Crystal Ridge Ski Area, LLC, dba The Rock Snowpark, a winter sports park and summer events venue in Franklin, Wisconsin, violated Title VII when it terminated a lift operations manager because of his religion, according to a lawsuit filed by the EEOC. The suit alleges that the employer fired a Christian employee because of his religious beliefs after the employee posted Bible verses and faith-based messages on his personal social media account. Although his posts made no mention of the workplace or coworkers, his supervisor told him to refrain from the posts. After confirming with the supervisor that he could continue sharing scripture, the employee was fired three days later for posting another Bible verse.

The EEOC filed its lawsuit in the Eastern District of Wisconsin; the case is No. 25-cv-940.

Religious discrimination. Omni Hotels Management Corporation, an international hotel chain company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, violated Title VII at its Michigan Avenue location in Chicago when it discriminated against an employee by denying his request to not work on Sundays due to his religion, according to a lawsuit filed by the EEOC. The suit also alleges that Omni retaliated against the employee for requesting an accommodation by substantially reducing his hours. According to the complaint, Omni Hotels initially granted the full-time employee’s Sabbath accommodation request and allowed another employee to cover the Sunday shift. However, the suit alleges that the company suddenly stopped accommodating the employee and demanded he either move to the night shift or become a part-time employee. Hotel management then retaliated against the employee by substantially reducing his hours.

The EEOC filed its lawsuit in the Northern District of Illinois; the case is No. 1:25-cv-7164.

Sexual harassment. Action Insulation Co., a general contractor specializing in insulation installation and asbestos abatement located in Port Wentworth, Georgia, violated Title VII by subjecting its office manager to sexual harassment by its owner, according to a lawsuit filed by the EEOC. The suit alleges that Action Insulation’s owner, who is also its founder and chief executive officer, subjected the female office manager to sexual harassment, including by making unwanted sexual comments and jokes, showing her lewd photographs, slapping her buttocks, pulling her hair, and otherwise touching her in an unwanted manner. The agency asserts the office manager resisted the owner’s advances and complained twice to her supervisor, but the company failed to take any action to stop the harassment. According to the EEOC, the office manager was left with no choice but to resign after the harassment escalated to physical assault.

The EEOC filed its lawsuit in the Southern District of Georgia; the case is No. 4:25-cv-00152-RSB-CLR.

Disability discrimination. 1st Franklin Financial Corporation, a consumer lender with more than 370 branches throughout the southeastern United States, violated the ADA by discriminating against a class of employees when it denied them reasonable accommodations and then fired them because of their disabilities, according to a lawsuit filed by the EEOC. The lawsuit alleges that the Georgia-based company has denied reasonable accommodations to its employees with disabilities since 2022 and offered no alternative accommodations, including when its employees requested leave as an accommodation. The EEOC’s complaint charged that a former customer service representative had multiple medical conditions contributing to heart attacks requiring hospitalization. He requested a short leave of absence until he expected to be released from the hospital, but the company denied the request and terminated him. The EEOC is seeking back pay, front pay, compensatory damages and punitive damages for the defendants’ former employees, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future discrimination.

The EEOC filed its lawsuit in the Northern District of Georgia; the case is No. 1:25-cv-03632-TWT-CCB.

Companies: FCA US, LLC; Crystal Ridge Ski Area, LLC; The Rock Snowpark; Omni Hotels Management Corporation; Action Insulation Co.; 1st Franklin Financial Corporation

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