Aria and Luxor Resorts Settle Religious Discrimination Charges

Categories: Breaking NewsGovernment NewsHealthNews

Aria and Luxor Resorts on the Las Vegas Strip

News Summary

Aria Resort and Casino and Luxor Resort and Casino have settled with the EEOC over allegations of religious discrimination linked to COVID-19 vaccination policies. The EEOC found reasonable cause that the resorts did not properly address employees’ religious accommodation requests. As part of the settlements, both resorts, operated by MGM Resorts International, will implement training programs for Human Resources to better support employees’ religious rights while the EEOC will monitor compliance with the agreements.

Las Vegas

Two popular Las Vegas Strip resorts, Aria Resort and Casino and Luxor Resort and Casino, have reached settlements with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over charges of religious discrimination related to their COVID-19 vaccination policies. This resolution follows allegations that both resorts denied employees’ requests for religious accommodations concerning the vaccination mandate.

The EEOC announced these settlements on July 31, 2025, indicating that there was reasonable cause to believe that the resorts had violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This legislation prohibits discrimination in employment based on various factors, including religion. The investigations conducted by the EEOC found that requests for religious accommodations from employees regarding these mandates were not adequately addressed by the management of both resorts.

Both Aria and Luxor are operated by MGM Resorts International, although they are licensed as distinct entities. As part of the settlements, neither resort admitted to any liability. The specific terms of the agreements, including any potential compensation or corrective measures, have not been disclosed publicly.

In the wake of these settlements, both resorts will be required to implement training programs for their Human Resources departments that focus on understanding and providing religious accommodations, as specified under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The director of the EEOC’s Las Vegas local office expressed approval of these training initiatives, noting their importance in assisting employees who seek religious accommodations in the workplace.

Compliance and Monitoring

The EEOC will actively monitor compliance with the terms of the settlements to ensure that both Aria and Luxor adhere to the guidelines designed to protect employees’ religious rights. This oversight includes ensuring that any adjustments to work requirements that conflict with an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs are sufficiently accommodated.

The issue of religious discrimination in the workplace has gained significance, particularly during the ongoing pandemic, as many businesses have implemented COVID-19 vaccination mandates that may conflict with the beliefs of some employees. Earlier in July 2025, another major player on the Strip, The Venetian hotel-casino, also reached a settlement concerning similar allegations. The Venetian agreed to pay $850,000 and enact significant policy changes to address failures in accommodating the religious beliefs of its employees, as well as addressing instances of retaliation against those who sought such accommodations.

Understanding Religious Accommodations

Title VII mandates that employers must provide reasonable religious accommodations for employees unless fulfilling such requests would impose an undue hardship on the business. This requirement underscores the legal obligation that employers have in respecting and addressing the religious practices of their workforce.

The settlements involving Aria, Luxor, and The Venetian highlight the ongoing challenges and legal implications surrounding workplace policies and religious rights, especially in the context of health-related mandates like those influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. As more employees seek to assert their rights to religious accommodations, the outcomes of these cases could have far-reaching implications for labor policies within the hospitality industry and beyond.