Most people search and apply for jobs that they know they can perform without problems. Some people may want the job so desperately that they will be willing to make certain sacrifices to obtain it. Then, there are some people who will accept a job even though they know that there may be some duties that they just can not perform for various reasons. So is the case of Jean Camara from Sunset Park Brooklyn, New York who was hired as a Costco employee. Jean refused to perform some of the duties required of him because they went against his religious beliefs.
Jean Camara is Muslim, and as such is prohibited from touching pork products. He was hired as a cashier, and refused to touch the packages of the pork as it rolled down the conveyor belt at the store. He stated that he had asked to be reassigned to a different department several times, but to no avail. His employer finally made the decision to place him outside the store to gather the carts. Camara was eventually fired for being insubordinate. The company now faces religious discrimination charges because Jean filed a suit against them for this reason.
Switching Camara to cart duty came after he explained his religious beliefs and restrictions to management. Although they denied the requests that Jean had made, they never explained the reason that he was reassigned to cart duty. After he filed a human rights complaint, Camara was fired from Costco 16 days later. He consulted with an attorney, Chauncey Henry, who stated that it is not alright to discriminate against someone because they have different beliefs. No one should be treated differently from others because they happen to believe in something that contrasts their beliefs.
With all of the opinions about how people who have different beliefs should be treated, Camara admitted the he has treated people differently himself when their beliefs are different from his. It is the widely discussed opinion of the people in the area that Jean should have known that Costco sold pork products before he took the job. If he is also responsible for treating people differently who have different views, his claim could fizzle while in process. To work for a place and not be aware of what all the job entails is misfortunate. Knowing what the job description is before accepting the job could help eliminate embarrassing or unwarranted situations.
Chauncey Henry will argue that everyone is entitled to equal treatment may negatively influence public opinion about Camara admitting to treating others differently. No one knows how this case will end, but the fact of Jean’s admission will probably weigh heavily on the minds of everyone involved with the case. Jean Camara is strong in his convictions, and is sure of his right to sue over the incident. Maybe if both parties had taken the time to sit down and discuss the matter before it escalated, the outcome would have been different. Jean would still be working for Costco, but in another department.
