Nordstrom employee files discrimination complaint after being told to remove Palestine pendant

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An employee at a Nordstrom store in Jacksonville says she was told she would be fired if she didn’t remove her necklace pendant representing Palestine.

She has filed a discrimination complaint against the company. 

The employee, who is only using her first name Shoroq, filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging religious discrimination, national origin discrimination, and retaliation.

The pendant has the colors of the Palestinian flag, overlayed on the shape of historic Palestine. It’s also the shape of the State of Israel.

Her attorneys say she was told by store leadership that the necklace was political and she was ordered to remove it. 

However, her attorney Zuneera Masood argues that religion and national origin often intersect.

“Nordstrom has violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. They have violated every single person’s freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of expression. These are core, fundamental, First Amendment rights here that Nordstrom has violated,” Masood told WMNF.

Masood with Muslim Legal in Tampa. 

“At the end of the day, especially with Islam, there’s no one size fits all symbol, and, we hope that this would also be an educational type of case where people learn a lot about Palestinian heritage, the middle east, and Islam as a whole,” Masood said.

Massood says they’re in active conversations with Nordstrom to resolve the matter. 

Nordstrom sent a statement to WMNF in response to the complaint: 

“As a company, we’re committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment. Our workplace policies continue to follow the law and are designed to ensure that our employees and customers feel safe and respected.”