Federal Agency Sues Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Over Alleged Discrimination Against Messianic Jewish Employee

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a federal lawsuit against Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, alleging that the company discriminated against a worker because of her religion. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Reports describe the worker, Shanise Patterson, as a Messianic Jew. One report’s headline refers to her as a Jewish employee.

Patterson worked as a cage cashier. Reports say she wore a headscarf as part of her religious practice, and that a manager accused her of violating the casino’s grooming policy by wearing it. According to the complaint, she was sent home without pay in June 2024 after she refused to remove the headscarf.

The lawsuit alleges that Patterson asked for an exception to the grooming policy so she could wear the headscarf, and that the casino failed to provide reasonable accommodation. One report says the casino’s human resources manager required a letter from clergy validating her practice. According to that account, she could not obtain such a letter because she did not belong to a synagogue. The other report on the case does not mention this requirement.

The reports differ on how her employment ended. One says that Patterson was not permitted to return to work and was terminated in July 2024, according to the lawsuit. Another says the complaint outlines her initial suspension and subsequent firing but does not specify the exact reasons for the casino’s decision. Both reports agree that the complaint covers her suspension and dismissal.

The EEOC filed the suit after administrative conciliation failed. The agency is seeking injunctive relief and damages on behalf of Patterson. Legal experts cited in one report note that Title VII requires employers to make reasonable adjustments unless doing so would cause undue hardship. Accommodation requests of this kind are central to the dispute, and fair consideration of them is the question the court will be asked to weigh (Proverbs 11:1).

Michael Mendoza, director of the EEOC’s Las Vegas Local Office, said employers must make reasonable efforts to accommodate employees. The reports reviewed do not include a response from Circa Resort & Casino to the allegations.