Court Upholds Wiccan-Boscov's Ruling

February 15, 2007

Author: JAMES MERRIWEATHER

Source: The News Journal

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DOVER -- A Superior Court judge has upheld a religious discrimination finding that requires Boscov’s to pay a $5,000 fine and $21,000 to two Christians, two Wiccans and a pagan.

In May, the state Human Relations Commission found that the Reading, Pa.-based department store chain caved in to pressure from church people and illegally dropped classes the complainants planned to teach in October 2005 at the Campus of Classes at the Dover store.

Boscov’s had argued in its defense that the classes -- including sessions on tarot, talismans, candle magic and the pentagram -- were called off for lack of diversity.

In an order decided Monday and issued Wednesday, Judge Robert B. Young of Kent County Superior Court agreed with the commission that Boscov’s diversity argument was “unworthy of credence” and instead was a pretext to discrimination.

Donna Jackson, 57, organizer of the dumped classes and the lead complainant, said she was particularly gratified that Young quoted Thomas Jefferson in his conclusion in the case.

‘“Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions any more than our opinions in physics or geometry,’” Young wrote.