Haitian Hotel Worker Awarded $21.5M For Religious Rights Lawsuit

Marie Jean Pierre’s inspiring victory sparked a wave of celebration on the Sakpase_Haiti Instagram page on Nov. 23.

Miami Hotel Dishwasher Forced to Work Sundays Awarded $21 Million by Jury

According to NBC NewsPierre was awarded a staggering $21.5 million in 2019 after it was revealed that her employer had violated her religious rights by forcing her to work on Sundays, despite her request for the day off to attend church when she was first hired. The Haitian-born hotel worker, who was employed as a dishwasher at the Conrad Miami, sued her employer, Virginia-based Park Hotels & Resorts (formerly Hilton Worldwide), claiming violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This landmark law prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

In her lawsuit, filed in 2017, Pierre stated that she had informed Conrad Miami from the start of her employment in 2009 that she could not work on Sundays due to her religious obligations.

“I love God. No work on Sunday, because Sunday I honor God,” the devout Christian and missionary, who attended Bethel Baptist Church in Miami, told NBC 6 South Florida during an interview in January 2019.

Pierre claimed that the hotel scheduled her to work on a Sunday, despite her earlier request for the day off due to her religious beliefs. When she informed her employer that she would have to resign if forced to work on Sundays, they made an effort to retain her by accommodating her request for several years. However, in 2015, the situation changed.

That year, the kitchen manager at the Conrad Miami reportedly “demanded” she work on Sundays, leading to a brief period in which she was allowed to swap shifts with colleagues to maintain her religious observance. She missed six Sundays due to her church attendance, NBC 6 South Florida noted.

Pierre was awarded a whopping lawsuit settlement.

Eventually, however, the hotel began citing her absences as “negligence” and “unexcused,” ultimately leading to her termination in 2016. Marc Brumer, Pierre’s attorney, said that the hotel’s actions were unjustifiable.

“They accommodated her for seven years, and they easily could have accommodated her, but instead of doing that, they set her up for absenteeism and threw her out,” Brumer shared during an interview with NBC 6 South Florida.

Brumer played a pivotal role in helping Pierre secure a significant settlement. The jury determined Pierre was owed $36,000 in back pay and $500,000 for emotional distress and mental anguish. However, due to a cap on punitive damages in federal court, Pierre could only take home $300,000 of the $21.5 million lawsuit settlement.

“She’s a soldier of Christ. She was doing this for all the other workers who are being discriminated against,” Brumer said.

Satisfied with the verdict, Pierre clarified that she did not file the lawsuit with the hope of winning money.

“It’s not a lottery, the Earth and the skies belong to God,” the matriarch said.

Source: David Gyung / Getty

According to Brumer, Hilton contended in court that they were unaware Pierre was a missionary and claimed they never understood why she requested Sundays off.

In a statement, the company said it was “very disappointed by the jury’s verdict, and don’t believe that it is supported by the facts of this case or the law.”

Social media users react on the Sakpase_Haiti Instagram page.

Pierre’s case underscored a clear violation of her rights, and the jury’s verdict served as a strong reminder of the critical importance of safeguarding religious freedoms both in the workplace. Many users expressed their support and satisfaction with Pierre’s victory on the Sakpase_Haiti page.

“The lord stood on business,” wrote one user.

Another supporter penned on the Sakpase_Haiti page, “God bless her! Well deserved!”

A third added, “The lord will fight for you!”

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