Ashanti McShan said that she was terminated from employment due to wearing a long black skirt instead of the required black pants. The 17-year-old stated that her Pentecostal Christian religion does not allow her to wear anything resembling men's clothing, according to the Inquistr.

McShan also claimed that when she first applied to Burger King in August 2010, that she had informed them that she would not be wearing the pants to work. Apparently, the fast food establishment told her that her religious decision would not be an issue.

However, when the teen had gone to the company's orientation, the manager asked her to leave due to her not being in proper uniform.

According to the online site, the lawsuit against B.K. franchisee Fries Restaurant Management, LLC, which was filed in a Dallas Federal Court on Wednesday morning read the following:

"The result of the foregoing practices has been to deprive Ashanti McShan of equal employment opportunities because of her religious beliefs and observances as a Christian Pentecostal."

Meaghan Shepard, the attorney representing McShan, feels as though the employee's request to wear the skirt was not out of the norm and should not have affected her performance.

"The legal standard is 'undue hardship,' and in this instance it was a very simple request - to be able to wear a long black skirt and not black pants - and it was initially granted. And then she shows up at orientation, on time, and is then told by the manager to leave and that she couldn't wear a skirt," she had said.

She was responsible, tried to get in touch with someone higher in the franchise, and they never responded to her. "In our eyes, it was so clear-cut. She's a very sweet, articulate young lady who was just trying to work her senior year in high school," Shepard added.

McShan is currently seeking an injunction, actual damages and punitive damages, according to the Huffington Post.

Tags
Offbeat