What to Know
- Several Muslim children were asked to leave a public Wilmington pool over the summer because of their cotton garments.
- Darul Amaanah Academy and the city of Wilmington announced a settlement that pays the school and five families $50,000.
- Wilmington doesn't admit wrongdoing, but will train staff and issue revised regulations.
A Muslim school and five of its families will receive $50,000 total as part of a settlement with a Delaware city where several children were asked to leave a public pool over the summer because of their cotton garments.
Darul Amaanah Academy and the city of Wilmington announced the settlement Wednesday. Wilmington doesn't admit wrongdoing, but will train staff and issue revised regulations to "expressly accommodate clothing worn for religious reasons or financial hardship."
The school asserted city staff discriminated against and harassed seven children because of their religion last summer. Then-pool manager Glenda Pinkett said policy prohibited cotton in the pool, but Mayor Mike Purzycki later said no such restriction exists. After Purczycki issued an apology, the school said staffers closed the pool before students could go in.
Wilmington agreed to the following stipulations under the settlement agreement:
- Issue revised regulations clarifying its dress code policy in City-operated aquatics facilities. The revised regulations will expressly accommodate clothing worn for religious reasons and will ensure access for all patrons of the City’s pools regardless of religion.
- Display the new regulations at each of the City’s pools and to provide additional training to employees working at City-operated aquatics facilities, both to ensure that these employees are fully aware of the revised regulations and to ensure compliance with the City’s commitment to non-discrimination.
- Extend the length of the 2019 pool season through Labor Day.
- Provide compensation to the Plaintiffs in the total amount of $50,000.
