FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                    CR
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1994                                    (202) 616-2765
                                                         TDD (202) 514-1888

          SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY TO PAY $93,000 FOR FIRING
               MAN WHO TOOK DAY OFF FOR RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A federal judge has refused Southern
Illinois University's request to set aside a $93,000 judgement for
its failure to accommodate an employee's religious practices, the
Justice Department announced today.
     In an Order issued on Friday, Judge William L. Beatty of the
U.S. District Court in East St. Louis, refused to alter an earlier
Order in which he found that the University unlawfully terminated
Jeffrey A. Cloud on the basis of his religion.  In his September
Order, Judge Beatty said the University failed to reasonably
accommodate Cloud's religious practices in violation of Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
     Cloud, a member of the Worldwide Church of God, requested
leave without pay from his civil service painter position to attend
a religious observance in October 1990.  The University denied
Cloud's request, but Cloud still attended the observance.  Upon his
return from the observance, known as the Feast of Tabernacles,
Cloud was terminated by the University.
     In his Order, Judge Beatty found that Cloud's absence would
not have caused the University an undue hardship and that the
University should have granted his request.
     The Court said that the University must rehire Cloud, offer 
him retroactive seniority and retroactive pension benefits, provide
him back pay of $93,030, and pay for the government's court costs. 
Last summer following the trial the University reinstated Cloud.
     "All employers must reasonably accommodate the religious
beliefs of their employees unless it is an undue hardship," said
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick.  
     The Court found no reason why the University could not
reasonably accommodate Cloud's religious beliefs by granting his
request for leave without pay.  It found that no one at the
University expressed any concern regarding the work load of the
painting crew in his absence, no other painters were required to
work overtime or other unscheduled hours as a result of his
absence, and there was no evidence that any painting job was left
uncompleted or that any other work suffered.  
     "We will do everything necessary to ensure compliance with the
civil rights statutes and will work with Southern Illinois
University to ensure that the Court's Order is fully implemented,"
said Charles Grace, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of
Illinois.
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