Retail worker with prosthetic arm suing after move to stockroom
Student part-timer claims U.S. firm's employee dress policy discriminatory
Last Updated: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 | 4:15 PM ET
CBC News
A British law student is suing U.S. clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch for unlawful discrimination, alleging she was moved from the shop floor to the stockroom at its flagship London store because of her prosthetic arm.
Riam Dean, 22, told the Daily Mail newspaper she applied to work at the company, known for tween fashion, in May and was hired as a part-timer.
She said she received a 45-page "Look Policy" booklet, telling employees they had to wear a uniform of jeans and a polo shirt, representing a "natural, classic American style."
Dean said at the time, she was given special permission to wear a long-sleeved cardigan to serve customers. However, a few days later, an employee assigned to inspect staff for appearance ordered her to take the cardigan off.
She said a few minutes later, her manager told her she had to work in the stockroom until the winter uniform arrived, and she couldn't remain on the shop floor because that would violate the "look policy."
In an interview with ZeldaLily.com, Dean said the manager's attitude toward her was "combative and aggressive."
"It made me feel as though she had picked up on my most personal, sensitive and deeply buried insecurities about being accepted and included," she told the news and gossip website.
Dean was born with her left forearm missing and has worn a prosthetic limb since she was three months old.
She said during the Abercrombie & Fitch job interview she was never asked whether she had a disability and it never occurred to her to mention it.
Her case goes before the Central London Employment Tribunal next week.
Dean is reported to be seeking damages of £25,000.
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