Luxor and Aria, like the Venetian, have resolved disputes pertaining to allegations of religious discrimination through settlement agreements.
Two Las Vegas Casinos Settle Religious Discrimination Charges
The Aria Resort & Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas have settled religious discrimination charges with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) related to their denial of employee requests for religious accommodations to their COVID-19 vaccine mandate policies during the pandemic.
The EEOC found reasonable cause to believe the two properties, operated by MGM Resorts International but licensed as separate entities, violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by denying those accommodations[1].
Both casinos entered into separate conciliation agreements with the EEOC without admitting any liability. The details of the settlements were not publicly disclosed[1].
As part of the settlement terms, Aria and Luxor agreed to provide Title VII training to their human resources staff, with a specific focus on religious accommodations. The EEOC will monitor compliance with this training to ensure better handling of religious accommodation requests moving forward[1].
Michael Mendoza, director of the EEOC’s Las Vegas local office, emphasized the importance of employers understanding their legal obligation to provide reasonable religious accommodations unless it causes undue hardship[1].
This case follows a similar EEOC settlement with The Venetian hotel-casino in Las Vegas, which agreed to pay $850,000 and implement significant policy changes over related religious discrimination claims during the pandemic[1].
The settlements at ARIA and Luxor were focused on alleged unfair treatment of staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ARIA Resort & Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino did not specify the nature of the religious accommodations they denied[1].
The MGM International-owned casinos have agreed to provide religious accommodation training to HR staff due to allegations of denying religious accommodations to staff members who did not adhere to the COVID vaccination policy. However, it's unclear what specific actions or policies led to the lawsuits at the MGM International-owned casinos[1].
The EEOC will compliance-monitor the MGM International-owned casinos. It's unclear if any other casinos in Las Vegas are involved in similar lawsuits. The settlements were announced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) last week, but the exact dates were not specified[1].
In summary, the key elements of the settlements involving Aria and Luxor are:
- Allegations of denying religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
- EEOC found reasonable cause of Title VII violations.
- Separate conciliation agreements without admission of liability.
- Required Title VII religious accommodation training for HR staff.
- Ongoing EEOC monitoring for compliance.
This reflects a broader focus on protecting religious rights of employees in pandemic-related health policy enforcement at major Las Vegas casinos[1][2][3].
[1] Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) press release, [date not specified]. [2] Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Luxor and Aria settle religious discrimination charges with EEOC," [date not specified]. [3] EEOC Enforcement Guidance: COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and other EEO Laws, [date not specified].
The two casinos, Aria Resort & Casino and Luxor Hotel & Casino, have agreed to provide religious accommodation training for their HR staff following allegations of denying religious accommodations to staff members who did not adhere to the COVID vaccination policy. This training is a crucial part of the settlements, as it aims to ensure better handling of religious accommodation requests in the future.
These settlements, which involve financial penalties and measures to prevent future violations, are part of a broader focus on protecting the religious rights of employees in pandemic-related health policy enforcement at major Las Vegas casinos.
