Religious Accommodations: What Triggers an EEOC Charge?

Presented by Saru Matambanadzo, Moise S. Steeg Associate Professor of Law, Tulane University School of Law

Religious accommodation requests sit at the intersection of employee rights, operational realities and legal compliance. One inconsistent decision, missing document or overlooked process step can transform a routine HR matter into a formal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charge.

In this faculty-led session, Professor Saru Matambanadzo will examine the HR decision points that determine whether a workplace issue is resolved internally or escalates into costly legal exposure. Attendees will explore how legal training equips HR professionals to recognize risk earlier and approach accommodation requests with a more informed lens.

What You’ll Learn:

• What can trigger an EEOC charge related to religious accommodations
• Where HR decision-making can create—or reduce—legal risk
• How accommodation requests connect to broader discrimination and compliance obligations
• Why documentation, consistency and process matter in workplace investigations
• How Tulane’s employment law curriculum prepares professionals to handle complex workplace issues

About the Presenter
Saru Matambanadzo is the Moise S. Steeg Associate Professor of Law at Tulane University School of Law and Senior Director of Online Legal Education. A nationally recognized authority on gender equality and workplace equity, Professor Matambanadzo brings an interdisciplinary approach to legal education—drawing from critical race theory, feminist legal theory, LatCrit theory, philosophy and gender studies. She is a longtime teacher in Tulane Law’s online Master of Jurisprudence in Labor & Employment Law (MJ-LEL) program, where she helps students examine modern workplace challenges through both legal and practical lenses.