Luxor and Aria have resolved legal disputes involving accusations of religious discrimination, similar to the Venetian resort.
Aria Resort & Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino Settle Religious Accommodation Lawsuits
The Aria Resort & Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino have reached settlements with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over allegations that they denied employees religious accommodations related to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The casinos, operated by MGM Resorts International but licensed separately, entered into separate conciliation agreements with the EEOC without admitting liability.
The settlements focus on alleged unfair treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The EEOC will compliance-monitor both casinos to ensure they adhere to federal law, which requires reasonable religious accommodations unless doing so poses an undue hardship on the business.
As part of these settlements, the Aria and Luxor agreed to implement training measures specifically for their human resources staff focusing on religious accommodation requirements under Title VII. The EEOC commended both casinos for these measures, stating that the training is intended to have a lasting positive impact on workers seeking religious accommodations in the workplace.
The Aria Resort & Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino's settlements are not the first of their kind in Las Vegas. The Venetian Casino Resort previously settled a lawsuit over religious discrimination and paid $85,000. The EEOC's decision to enforce religious accommodation protections amid COVID-19 policy implementations reflects a broader trend in upholding these protections in the workplace.
Michael Mendoza, EEOC Las Vegas Local Director, emphasized the importance of employers understanding that federal law requires reasonable religious accommodations. He commended the casinos for implementing training measures that will impact workers seeking religious accommodations in the workplace.
The specific details of the unfair treatment and the nature of the religious accommodations that were denied are not provided in the information available. The EEOC did not mention any financials related to the Aria Resort & Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino settlements.
References: 1. EEOC News Release: Aria Resort & Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino Settle EEOC Religious Accommodation Lawsuits 2. Las Vegas Review-Journal: Aria Resort & Casino, Luxor Hotel & Casino settle religious accommodation lawsuits with EEOC 3. Casino.org: Aria Resort & Casino, Luxor Hotel & Casino Settle EEOC Religious Accommodation Lawsuits 4. Las Vegas Sun: Aria Resort & Casino, Luxor Hotel & Casino settle religious accommodation lawsuits with EEOC 5. KTNV: Aria Resort & Casino, Luxor Hotel & Casino settle religious accommodation lawsuits with EEOC
- Despite the ongoing casino-culture in Las Vegas, the Aria Resort & Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino have been navigating issues related to health-and-wellness and workplace-wellness, as they settle religious accommodation lawsuits with the EEOC.
- The settlements highlight the importance of science, as they focus on allegations of unfair treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for reasonable religious accommodations under federal law.
- Politics also play a role, as the EEOC's policy-and-legislation enforcement reflects a broader trend in upholding religious accommodation protections in general-news contexts.
- The Aria Resort & Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino's settlements join a growing list of similar cases in Las Vegas, reinforcing the need for casino-and-gambling establishments to prioritize health-and-wellness and workplace-wellness.
- The EEOC, in its efforts to ensure compliance, is investigating casino-games venues in Las Vegas, signaling a potential shift in the casino-culture that will likely impact casino-culture worldwide.
