“Stefanae agreed to come to work but due to the overall negative hostile atmosphere at work she couldn’t stay and decided to leave,” said Faizan Syed, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Texas. The civil rights group is representing Coleman in the matter.
The experience has left Coleman “uncomfortable” and reconsidering her employment with Chicken Express, Coleman said.
There are “so many Chicken Expresses in Texas and they all allow people to wear hijabs with no problem,” she said. “It was racism and discrimination… They’re just trying to sweep it under the rug.”