Two More Las Vegas Strip Casinos Settle Religious Discrimination Lawsuits

The Aria and Luxor, Las Vegas Strip casino resorts both under the MGM Resorts International umbrella, reached settlements with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over religious discrimination claims, the agency announced last week.

The allegations centered on the casinos’ denial of religious accommodations to employees who failed to comply with COVID-19 vaccine mandates. According to the EEOC’s findings, this violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Following the EEOC’s investigations, the parties engaged in separate pre-litigation conciliation processes to resolve the complaints of discrimination.

Both the Aria and the Luxor entered into separate conciliation agreements with the EEOC. Each agreed to provide Title VII training to its human resources teams, emphasizing religious accommodation policies. The EEOC will monitor compliance with the agreements.

Also as part of the settlement, neither property admitted fault.

The EEOC will oversee compliance with the agreement.

“We commend both the Aria and the Luxor for putting in place training measures that will have a lasting impact on workers seeking religious accommodations in the workplace,” said Michael Mendoza, director of the EEOC’s Las Vegas local office, in a statement. “It is important that all employers understand that federal law requires reasonable religious accommodations, unless such an accommodation would pose an undue hardship that is substantial in the overall context of the employer’s business.”

MGM Resorts did not comment on the settlements.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

Last month, the Venetian hotel-casino settled a similar EEOC religious discrimination lawsuit, agreeing to pay $850,000 and enact major policy changes.