Discrimination lawsuit | Restaurant manager allegedly ripped hijab from employee's head

Restaurant chain Chipotle is being sued as a Muslim employee alleges her manager ripped her hijab off her head in an act of religious harassment.

The lawsuit outlines how in 2021, an assistant manager at the restaurant, Kevin Silva Garcia, repeatedly harassed a member of the team, 19-year-old Areej Saifan, demanding her to show her hair despite her refusal.

Going on for several years, the lawsuit claims that Garcia asked to see Saifan’s hair at least ten times in the space of a month, before eventually grabbing and attempting to fully remove the scarf.

Saifan had complained to a supervisor about the harassment before the incident, but nothing was done. After the incident, Saifan gave her two weeks’ notice and Chipotle didn’t schedule her for another shift, despite other non-Muslim workers being given shifts during their notice period.