EEOC Sues Circa Resort & Casino for Religious Discrimination

Federal lawsuit alleges that Las Vegas casino refused to accommodate and then fired a Messianic Jewish employee based on her religion

LAS VEGAS — Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas violated federal law when it failed to accommodate an employee who requested to wear a headscarf in observance of her religious faith, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a manager demanded that a cage cashier remove the headscarf she wore as part of her Messianic Jewish religious practice and sent her home without pay when she refused. Circa’s human resources manager required the employee to obtain a clergy letter validating her religious practice because her practice did not comport with his personal views of Judaism. The employee informed human resources that she was unable to obtain a letter because she did not belong to a synagogue. The employee was not allowed to return to work and was ultimately fired in July 2024, the suit said.

“Federal law applies to all aspects of an individual’s religious observance, practice and belief, and employers must make reasonable efforts to accommodate employees,” said Michael Mendoza, director of the EEOC’s Las Vegas Local Office. “The EEOC stands ready to enforce the law on religious discrimination for all faiths.”

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on religion, requires religious accommodations absent undue hardship, and prohibits retaliation against individuals who request a religious accommodation or oppose discrimination based on religion. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Circa Resort & Casino, Case No. 2:26-cv-03088) in the U.S. District Court for Nevada after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

Beatriz Andre, acting regional attorney of the EEOC’s Los Angeles District, said, “The EEOC will continue to protect employees so they are not forced to choose between their livelihood and their religion. Employers need to be reminded that, absent an undue hardship, they are required to comply with Title VII.”

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

The EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office is responsible for addressing discrimination charges and conducting agency litigation in central and southern California, southern Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands with offices in Los Angeles, Fresno, Las Vegas, San Diego and Honolulu.

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 also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.