Wheeler Trucking, an automotive hauling company based in Michigan, will pay $65,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after a Torah-observant employee reported religious discrimination.
Charles R. Lynch III, who practices Torah-observant Christianity, worked for Wheeler from 2016 until 2021 at the company’s Sheffield, Ohio, location. Lynch, who the September lawsuit says identifies as Middle Eastern and of Israeli descent, was subjected to racial slurs throughout his employment with the company. Co-workers and supervisors sometimes called him “Osama bin Laden” and other offensive names.
“Employers that fail to correct and prevent harassment must be held accountable,” Philadelphia District Office Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence said in an announcement. “The EEOC is committed to remedying and preventing harassment because of race and religion and to ensuring that employers do not retaliate against workers because they engage in protected activity.”
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Employees also mocked Lynch’s religious beliefs and observance of the Sabbath and criticized his interpretation of the Bible, according to the suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Torah-observant Christians follow the commandments of the Torah — the first five books of the Bible — and believe Mosaic law is still in effect, a departure from other types of Christianity that don’t adhere to Old Testament laws.
Lynch requested religious accommodation to recognize the Sabbath, which he observes on Saturday, but in 2021, Wheeler scheduled him to work Saturdays. When Lynch spoke with management about the issue, the lawsuit says a manager said, “F— your religion.”
Wheeler must pay $40,000 in back pay and $25,000 for emotional distress, according to the consent decree. The company must also require employees to attend discrimination training.