The Venetian to pay $850,000 in religious discrimination case

The Venetian Resort will pay $850,000 to settle a lawsuit over religious discrimination filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The EEOC filed the lawsuit prior to the 2022 Apollo acquisition of the resort, alleging that The Venetian refused to make reasonable religious accommodations for certain employees and retaliated against those who objected to the discriminatory practices, KLAS reported.

According to the EEOC’s statement, some employees faced disciplinary actions, were denied promotions, or were even terminated or forced to resign after being denied religious accommodations. Examples of accommodations the EEOC highlighted include allowing days off for religious observance and permitting beards in accordance with religious beliefs.

“As this case shows, reasonable accommodation might look like, among other things, allowing certain days off for Sabbatarians or Buddhists and allowing beards for Orthodox Christians,” said Andrea Lucas, EEOC acting chair. “It also means not punishing anyone who speaks out in favor of these rights.”

As part of the settlement, The Venetian must also provide training on religious accommodations to all staff and hire a third-party monitor to revise policies and ensure compliance for the next three years.

“We commend the Venetian Resort for their co-operation in the early resolution of this lawsuit and agreeing to implement proactive measures to ensure religious accommodation requests are handled more effectively,” said Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District.

“Employers are reminded of the importance of understanding their obligations under Title VII in accommodating religious beliefs of their employees, especially after the US Supreme Court clarified the standard for granting religious accommodations.”