Commentary

Civil Rights Org, Muslim Advocates, Settles Pool Discrimination Lawsuit

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Every child should be able to have fun in a public pool without having to worry about facing prejudice.” . said Tahsiyn Ismaa’eel, founding director of the Darul Amaanah Academy summer youth camp

Published

7 years ago

January 24, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

The national civil rights organization, Muslim Advocates, and its co-counsel announced a settlement of a lawsuit against the city of Wilmington, Delaware. The lawsuit alleged that Muslim children were repeatedly harassed at city pools last year because of clothing worn for religious reasons.

According to court documents, the city will revise its dress code policies for city-operated aquatic facilities to ensure access for all. The new policy will expressly state that the dress code accommodates clothing worn for religious reasons or financial hardship.

The settlement comes following a lawsuit brought by Wilmington-based Muslim Youth Center, Darul Amaanah Academy, and certain families associated with the center.

Some of the children attending Darul Amaanah’s summer camp, consistent with their religious beliefs, wear headscarves, t-shirts or leggings while in public.

Despite wearing such clothing at city pools for years without incident, pool staff harassed the children this past summer and repeatedly denied them access to the pool simply because of their religious beliefs, according to Darul Amaanah.

Despite numerous complaints, including a cease and desist letter from Muslim Advocates and an acknowledgement from the mayor’s office that the city used “poor judgment” and “should be held accountable,” the city failed to take meaningful action, forcing the plaintiffs to file this lawsuit in August 2018, according to attorneys for the center.

“I was born and raised in Wilmington, which is why it broke my heart to see our children face this kind of discrimination and humiliation from the city,” said Tahsiyn Ismaa’eel, founding director of the Darul Amaanah Academy summer youth camp.

“Every child should be able to have fun in a public pool without having to worry about facing prejudice.”

As part of the settlement, the city will provide additional training to employees of city-operated aquatic facilities and prominently display the new dress code policy at all city pools.

The city will also extend the length of the 2019 pool season through Labor Day and provide $50,000 in compensation to the plaintiffs, according to the settlement.

While the city didn’t admit any wrongdoing, Mayor Mike Purzycki and City Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Kelley both said Wilmington is committed to “ensuring the fair and equal treatment of all residents.”

“Both parties agreed that today’s announced settlement helps to ensure that all residents of Wilmington are able to enjoy Wilmington’s aquatic facilities,” the mayor and parks director said in a joint statement.

Muslim Advocates attorneys said they were pleased with the outcome.

“Darul Amaanah Academy’s staff and families showed remarkable courage by publicly standing up for themselves and for the broader Wilmington community,” said Juvaria Khan, the senior staff attorney at Muslim Advocates.

“Everybody — especially young children — should be allowed to use the pool without fearing that they will be discriminated against because of what they believe or the way they look. This situation should have never happened, and this settlement agreement helps ensure that it will never happen again.”

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Advice

Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

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As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC