LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A downtown hotel has been sued on behalf of four Muslim women who say they were denied housekeeping jobs because they wore hijabs, the traditional clothing that covers their hair.

The lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last week claims the Marriott Louisville Downtown unlawfully discriminated against the women when they were refused jobs last year.

The federal Civil Rights Act requires an employer to accommodate religious practices unless it poses an "undue burden," said Kenneth W. Brown, a senior EEOC attorney.

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Hotel spokesman Robert Gunnell of Perits Public Relations said the lawsuit was being reviewed and declined further comment.

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