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U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2025

Logic Staffing to Pay $217,500 in EEOC Religious Discrimination, Retaliation Lawsuit

Staffing agency refused to hire Muslim applicant asking to attend Friday prayer

SEATTLE – Logic Staffing, a Washington-based staffing and recruiting agency, agreed to pay $217,500 after failing to hire a Muslim job applicant after he asked about a religious accommodation to attend Friday prayer. The company also agreed to provide other relief, resolving a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC's suit, Logic Staffing invited the applicant to interview at its Kent, Washington, headquarters the day after he submitted an online application. On the strength of his application and interview, the supervisor started to explore available openings when the applicant disclosed a possible need for a longer mid-day break to attend Friday prayer. Although the applicant said he would not need additional time if his workplace was close to a mosque, the supervisor ended the interview and noted that the applicant was not hired due to his schedule and need to attend Friday prayer. The EEOC also alleged that Logic Staffing disqualified the applicant from future employment after he sought confirmation that he was not hired because of his request for a religious accommodation.

“Under federal law, staffing agencies, as well as employers and unions, have a duty to explore workplace accommodations that allow workers to practice their faith, said Elizabeth Cannon, director of the EEOC’s Seattle Field Office. “This could include reviewing alternatives with business clients to determine if an accommodation is possible. Logic Staffing’s commitment to reviewing their policies and procedures and to training decision-makers are excellent steps to preventing religious discrimination and ensuring legal compliance.”

The company’s alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits rejecting qualified applicants because of their religion or need for a religious accommodation. The EEOC filed its lawsuit (EEOC v. Logic Staffing LLC, No. 2:24-cv-01557-BJR), in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

Under the four-year consent decree that resolves the EEOC’s lawsuit, in addition to monetary amounts, the company will work with a third-party consultant to review and revise its policies and procedures concerning religious discrimination, accommodation and retaliation. The company will also train managers, supervisors, hiring coordinators, recruiters and human resources personnel on these revised policies and procedures, including the process for workers to appeal denials of religious accommodation. 

Senior EEOC Trial Attorney Gregory Hitzel said, "No one should have to choose between keeping a job or keeping one’s faith. The EEOC will defend the rights of applicants and employees to earn a living while fully observing their religious beliefs."

For more information on religious discrimination, please visit: https://www.eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination. For more information on retaliation, please visit: https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation.

The EEOC’s Seattle Field Office has jurisdiction over Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.

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