Tyranny at its finest on behalf of the worst.
The village of Berkeley, Ill., 15 miles west of Chicago, is small enough to proclaim its population (5,245) on its welcome sign. It is also small enough to escape mention in the national news — most of the time. But the village, which, according to The Washington Post, is majority African-American and Hispanic, has attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice. The department is suing the Berkeley School District on behalf of a former teacher.
Here are the facts: Safoorah Khan, 29, was hired to teach middle school math in November 2007. According to her lawyer, she was happy in her job, which included preparing sixth- through eighth-graders for state tests, and running the “math lab.” After nine months on the job, Khan requested a three-week leave of absence in order to perform the hajj — the pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are obliged to undertake at least once in their lives if they can afford it.Employers are required by law to honor requests for religious accommodations provided that they do not impose “undue hardship” on the employer or other employees. Berkeley officials maintained that a three-week absence in December — which would have denied the school its only math lab instructor right before exams — was unreasonable and was not covered by the teachers’ union contract. They denied her request. Khan decided to make the trip anyway and submitted her resignation.