DC Circuit Gives Break to Pro Se Plaintiff, Revives Bias Claim

A divided federal appeals court ordered a second look at a Muslim worker’s religious discrimination claim against the Energy Department, holding that her status as a pro se litigant made the difference.

The district court threw out Farah Naz’s bias charge without considering a supervisor’s alleged comment about “Islamic religious extremism” made in response to her request for a scheduling accommodation during the month of Ramadan, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said in a 2-1 ruling Tuesday.

“Granted, Naz did not include the allegation in her complaint, instead stating it in her opposition to the ...