On May 2, 2011, the morning after Osama Bin Laden was killed, a co-worked allegedly told Mohamed Kotbi, a long-time waiter at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, "Oh, I heard they got your brother." Mr. Kotbi had gone to bed early on Sunday night, had not heard about Bin Laden's killing, and feared that his actual brother had been killed. Then the co-worker allegedly corrected himself and told Kotbi that "your boss," namely Bin Laden, had been killed. Another co-worker laughed, but Kotbi wasn't laughing.
This incident was, allegedly, the latest in a pattern of harassment and discrimination by Kotbi's co-workers and supervisors. Beginning on September 13, 2001, Kotbi had allegedly been told, by supervisors, to introduce himself as "John" and "Edgar." Also, Kotbi's co-workers had allegedly called him Taliban, "Al Qaeda boy" and "Moroccan faggot," and joked that he might explode whenever his cell phone rang.
He had complained to management and to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"), with limited success in stopping the discrimination and hostile work environment. Therefore and because of the latest harassment, he is now suing the Waldorf-Astoria for employment discrimination in New York state court.
These allegations demonstrate that Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab sentiment may be on the rise following the killing of Osama Bin Laden. If you have suffered discrimination based on your religion or national origin, you should contact the Law Office of Matthew S. Porges, Esq. and arrange for a free consultation. I will personally listen to your situation and determine if you have a case to pursue.
*Facts courtesy New York Observer: http://www.observer.com/2011/daily-transom/waldorf-astoria-gets-served-muslim-banquet-waiter?page=0
