Jewish Police Applicant Files Ridiculous Discrimination Lawsuit After Dallas County Sheriff Pulls Job Offer

Isabel Balderas is suing Dallas County Sheriff after they refused to hire her once she informed them that she could not meet the job requirements.

Jewish Police Applicant Files Ridiculous Discrimination Lawsuit After Dallas County Sheriff Pulls Job Offer

Dallas, Texas – A lawsuit filed in Dallas County alleges that the Sheriff’s Office discriminated against a female applicant based on her religious beliefs, violating her civil rights. Isabel Balderas filed her suit seeking between $100,000 and $1 million in damages. The lawsuit and her reasoning are quite misleading, though.

Balderas claims that she was offered a position within data management in the Dallas County Jail system. When she told her prospective employer that she must be home early on Fridays for the Jewish Sabbath, they suddenly pulled the job offer from the table.

Isabel Balderas’ attorney, Robert Lee said, “The thing is they didn’t even want to talk to the lady about different options.” He went on to say, “She was willing to do all kinds of things. She said ‘I’ll work extra days, I’m only asking for this little thing.’ They gave her no slack.”

One very major detail that is being overlooked by the attorney and his client is that the jail is a 24 hour-a-day, 7 day-a-week operation. Likewise, data management specialists are on call the same 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week. Isabel Balderas being unavailable during any particular time could be detrimental to the operation of the agency. Very often, police officers and those who provide support systems for police officers are held over or called in during serious incidents. Having unreliable employees can lead to catastrophe. If she was in the middle of dealing with a problem on Friday at the end of her shift, she wouldn’t be able to just get up and leave while the problem was unresolved.

In a statement addressing the lawsuit, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department said, “Ms. Balderas did not mention her need for religious accommodation during her preliminary interviews. After she was offered the position, Ms. Balderas requested to be off work during the Jewish Sabbath every Friday evening and Saturday.”

“From our perspective,” Lee said, “we don’t know why they couldn’t just adjust her schedule. There are plenty of religious Christians that need off on Sundays. You’re required under the law to provide reasonable accommodation to persons of religious belief. I don’t understand why that could not have been provided here.” It is the belief of Isabel Balderas and her attorney that an agency the size of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office could simply adjust schedules and make special concessions.

Throughout the hiring process, she was surely informed of the work days, conditions, and requirements. She made no mention of needing any concessions during the entire process until she was offered a position. She was informed of the requirements and special treatment would undermine morale and the mission of the agency.

Here is the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office full response to the incident:

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department would like to address the religious discrimination complaint of Isabel Balderas. Ms. Balderas was conditionally offered the position of Data Management Unit Manager around June 25, 2013. The Data Manager is the highest ranking supervisor in the unit and directs all of the unit’s activities. Ms. Balderas did not mention her need for religious accommodation during her preliminary interviews. After she was offered the position, Ms. Balderas requested to be off work during the Jewish Sabbath every Friday evening and Saturday. The Data Manager is “on call” 24 hours/7 days per week because the Jail is a 24 hour/7 days a week operation. During an emergency, Ms. Balderas would have been unavailable because she does not drive or use the telephone for work during the Sabbath. Intervention by the Data Manager may be needed to facilitate release of prisoners wrongfully held in the jail on bad warrants, mistaken identification, or other system glitches. If no executive decision can be made on a Friday night or Saturday, a prisoner may be held in jail longer than authorized. This was communicated to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) when Ms. Balderas filed a complaint. The EEOC did not accept the case after their preliminary investigation. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department is not aware of any new lawsuit that Isabel Balderas has filed against our agency.