SCOTUS Rules Against Abercrombie In Hijab Employment Denial Case

CNN reports:

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Muslim woman who has sued retailer Abercrombie & Fitch when the store failed to hire her because she wore a head scarf in observance of her religion. The court ruled 8-1 that the company failed to accommodate Samantha Elauf's religious needs when she was not hired on the basis that her hijab violated company dress policy. The retailer had argued that Elauf couldn't succeed without first showing that the employer had "actual knowledge" of her need for a religious accommodation. But the Court disagreed and sent the case back to the lower court for further consideration. "An applicant need show only that his need for an accommodation was a motivating factor in the employer's decision, not that the employer had knowledge of his need," Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the majority.

RELATED: No word from SCOTUS on marriage today.

AFA Cheers Newly "Family Friendly" A&F

Via press release from the AFA:

Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) has been well known for using highly sexualized marketing techniques to lure young people into its stores...but that's all changed now that the company has ousted former CEO Michael Jefferies. After 13 years of AFA's campaigning against A&F's trashy catalogs, shirtless models and pornographic ads, the company has shed the tawdry image and is now making its stores family friendly. The company has turned up the lights, turned down the music and cut back on the level of colognes that shoppers are forced to breathe. "By the end of July, there will no longer be sexualized marketing used in marketing materials, including in-store photos, gift cards and shopping bags," Abercrombie said in a news release. A research of A&F's website, Facebook page and other social media images already show a refreshing change from just a month ago. Parents, and children alike, will find A&F's offerings respectable and decent. And...the malls just became a bit more comfortable to visit.

Also claiming victory is One Million Moms head Monica Cole: “The posters Abercrombie & Fitch used in their stores had nude models who just had their clothing strategically placed so nothing was seen, but the posters in general were obscene. These posters were removed after our voices were heard."

Abercrombie CEO Steps Down

Controversial openly gay Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries stepped down yesterday after more than 20 years of helming the iconic brand. Via the Washington Post:

Jeffries, 70, has led the company since 1992 and built Abercrombie into an icon of the teen fashion industry. Yet he came under fire last year for comments that resurfaced about how "a lot of people don't belong" in its sexed-up, all-American clothing. He also has been under scrutiny for the company's recent financial struggles, as the brand further loses its luster among young adults. While the company did not detail the circumstances of his departure, Jeffries said in a statement that he thinks "now is the right time for new leadership to take the company forward in the next phase of its development." Abercrombie has also been adjusting the look and feel of its retail — lightening up its nightclub-dark stores, ditching the prominent logos on its clothing and redoing the fronts of its Hollister shops. Neil Stern, a senior partner with retail consultancy McMillanDoolittle, says that while Abercrombie was slow to respond to teens' changing tastes, it has been working to catch up by expanding its outlet stores, focusing on international growth and shifting the Hollister brand to more closely mimic fast-fashion retailers like H&M and Forever 21.

If you've never read the 2006 profile of Jeffries by Salon, it's an eye-opener.

Abercrombie CEO: No Fatties, No Uglies

We've known that Abercrombie CEO Michael Jeffries was a beyond-creepy douche ever since that 2006 Slate profile, so this latest flap really isn't very surprising.