Complaints of religious discrimination on the rise

? Complaints of religious discrimination at jobs and schools in Washington state are at their highest in the past 15 years, with confrontations ranging from when and where people pray, how they dress or what hours they work.

According to filings with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, complaints in the state rose 60 percent between 2002 and 2006, compared to a nationwide 30 percent increase during the same period.

“We’re seeing an increase in religious charges involving all different faiths – across the board,” said Kathryn Olson, supervisory trial attorney with the EEOC in Seattle.

Employers are prohibited from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing and other terms of employment under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law applies to employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments, as well as employment agencies, labor organizations, and the federal government.

The war in Iraq and an increasingly diverse population have helped fuel workplace tensions. But although many complaints come from Muslims, data show a growing conflict around the Christian faith.

“Christians are being treated as second-class citizens in schools, city council and on the streets,” said Greg Scott, a spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund, which represents plaintiffs in religious freedom cases nationwide.