Muslim teacher denied job for wearing headscarf, wins court compensation in Germany
Muslim teacher in Berlin who wasn’t hired a school because she was wearing a headscarf will receive €8,680 (US$9,250) discrimination compensation, a German court has ruled.
Germany labor court in the federal state of Berlin-Brandenburg decided on Thursday that by wearing the headscarf the no woman will pose a threat to the school or its discipline,
The defendant had appealed a court ruling which had rejected her complaint last year.
Neutrality law,’ of Berlin indicates that policemen, teachers and judicial employees on duty should not wear religious clothing. However, Judge Schaude referred to a 2015 ruling by Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court, which stated that headscarf bans in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia violated religious freedom.
The other political party head Dirk Behrendt of Green party (Buendnis 90/Die Gruenen) welcomed the verdict.
“This is a good day for anti-discrimination in Berlin,” he said. “The verdict is the beginning of the end of the Neutrality Act.”
Appeal against the ruling is possible the City education authorities can file appeal against the judge decision
Germany’s top court lifted a ban in January 2015, the ban on female Muslim teachers wearing headscarves as long as it doesn’t lead to “disruption” at school. Judges clarified a ban could only be justified if the wearing of the Islamic headscarf led to a “sufficiently concrete danger” of disruption in the school
Complete blanket ban on religious Wearing and expressiion in public schools based upon the outward appearance of educators is not compatible with their religious freedoms.
The North Rhine-Westphalia state law banned headscarves, claiming they could put in jeopardy teachers’ neutrality and cause classroom disruption. However, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled in 2015 that a school would need to prove “not only an abstract but a sufficiently specific risk” to justify a ban.
Press journalist for HRO media – Ignacio Damigo reports.
Category: European Crises
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