The suit [filed by CAIR-Chicago] alleges Smiley was treated less favorably than similarly situated employees who were not Palestinian or Arab when accused of "false allegations of misconduct."

"The unsubstantiated allegation against, and subsequent firing of, Sue Smiley reeks of racism," said Kevin Vodak, an attorney for the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the suit on Smiley's behalf.

"The three-count federal suit (filed by CAIR-Chicago) -- which claims one count of national origin discrimination and two counts of race discrimination -- seeks all wages and benefits she would have received, in addition to compensatory and punitive damages. It also seeks an order mandating Smiley be returned to her former position or receive pay in lieu of reinstatement."

The plaintiff's co-workers and superiors would call him “terrorist,” “sand ni***r” and “camel jockey.” An opinion issued yesterday by federal district court judge Dow notes the precedent set by CAIR-Chicago's legal victory in Yasin v. Cook County. Dow writes, “There can be little question that, as a court in this district recently concluded, referring to a Muslim of Middle Eastern origin and Arab ancestry as a ‘terrorist' or ‘bin Laden' is ‘discriminatory, insulting and humiliating.'”

A hookah lounge in Worth, Illinois, is still in business after unsubstantiated complaints against it were resolved by CAIR-Chicago. Civil Rights Director, Christina Abraham, reached a settlement last week allowing the Arab American owned lounge to remain open.

The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) announced today a verdict in favor of an Arab-American correctional officer in a discrimination case CAIR-Chicago Staff attorney, Kevin Vodak, litigated against the Cook County Sheriff's department pro-bono.

A jury awarded $200,000 to a Cook County correctional officer who said he was the victim of racial harassment on the job.

A Cook County sheriff's deputy of Palestinian ancestry who is suing superiors for failing to look into his complaints of racial harassment testified at the start of his trial that he endured dozens of incidents between December 2004 and March 2006.

A Cook County sheriff's deputy of Palestinian ancestry who is suing superiors for failing to look into his complaints of racial harassment testified at the start of his trial that he endured dozens of incidents between December 2004 and March 2006.

CAIR-Chicago is representing Officer Abraham Yasin in an employment discrimination case. Yasin was harassed by fellow officers in incidents spanning over a year, and is seeking justice for the violation of his rights.

The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today announced the filing of a complaint in federal court on behalf of a Muslim man of South Asian descent who alleges that he suffered harassment at his workplace, culminating in an unjustified termination from his position.

The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) filed a complaint in federal court today on behalf of a Muslim woman who claims to have suffered harassment at her workplace where she served as a personal banker.

On June 6, 2009, the Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights hosted a forum entitled The State of Surveillance in the Surveillance State: Chicago and the Nation.

Event: Panel on Chicago Area Surveillance Issues, June 6, 2009

Today the Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights (CCDBR) is hosting The State of Surveillance in the Surveillance State: Chicago and the Nation. The event will take place at Northwestern University School of Law from 1-4pm.

CAIR-Chicago announced today that a District Court ruled for a corrections officer's discrimination case against the Cook County Sheriff's department to move to trial. U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve denied Cook County's motion for summary judgment this week. (The court had also denied Cook County's motion to dismiss the case in 2008.)

CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Director Christina Abraham was recently appointed as a member of the Brussells Tribunal Advisory Board, an international hearing committee that addresses human rights issues.

Civil Rights Director Christina Abraham attended a citizenship interview with a man who has been waiting five years for citizenship.

Civil Rights Director Christina Abraham represented a man in an appeal hearing for his application for citizenship before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Director Christina Abraham spoke to a group of over 40 students at Kent Law School as part of a panel last Wednesday. At the event, titled "Human Rights in Gaza: What is Happening Now, and What Can Change for Tomorrow," Abraham discussed Israel’s actions in Gaza within the context of international law.