Suit: Plaza Staff Harassed Muslims

A federal discrimination suit announced yesterday accuses managers at the swanky Plaza hotel of cursing its Muslim staff members, calling them "terrorists," blaming them for the Sept. 11 attacks and physically assaulting some of them.

The class action lawsuit was filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which said it sees a trend of discrimination against Muslims and Arabs since the attacks. A second suit yesterday was brought against Newsweek and a graphics company used by the magazine.

The suit on behalf of 10 Muslim, Arab and South Asian employees at the landmark Fifth Avenue hotel said managers called them "al-Qaida," "Taliban" and "Dumb Muslims. " The employees also were allegedly accused of destroying the World Trade Center...Tulun Ahmed, 36, said he was kicked in the shin by a manager at the restaurant and was later allegedly forced to resign. Another employee was grabbed in the crotch, EEOC attorney Kam S. Wong said.

Amanita Duga-Carroll, a spokeswoman at the Plaza, acknowledged some of the discrimination and said the hotel has addressed the problems...The Plaza is owned by Plaza Operating Partners..

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