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. # # # 94-669