The City of Wilmington and Darul Amaanah Academy announced a settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed over actions by pool management regarding Muslim patrons and their attire.
The city did not admit fault but agreed to pay $50,000 in the dispute that gained national attention along with criticism of the municipality over a delayed response to the issue.
“The settlement reflects months of collaborative discussion between the parties, undertaken with the mutual goal of creating a better city for all residents and visitors,” a release from the city stated.
Darul Amaanah Academy and a group of Muslim families are the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed last August that alleged the city and certain employees denied children attending Darul Amaanah’s summer camp access to city-operated aquatics facilities and subjected them to discriminatory and harassing conduct.
The suit was first filed in Delaware Chancery Court and then moved to the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.
Under the terms of the settlement, the city does not admit any wrongdoing. “The city does, however, “regret that unclear swimwear policies and the lack of specific training on such policies fueled a misunderstanding which left the plaintiffs feeling excluded from a city pool,” the release stated.
Under the terms of the settlement, the City is agreeing to:
- 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.
- Extend the length of the 2019 pool season through Labor Day.
- Provide compensation to the Plaintiffs in the total amount of $50,000.
