Religious Law
Hasidic merchants won't have to pay fines for dress-code signs
Seven Hasidic merchants won’t have to pay fine for posting dress-code signs as a result of a settlement on Tuesday with New York City.
The city had claimed the signs discriminated against women and non-Orthodox men, the New York Times reports. The signs read: “No shorts, no barefoot, no sleeveless, no low-cut neckline allowed in this store.”
The city agreed to drop the case if the retailers who post signs make clear that they do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion or gender.
Jay Lefkowitz of Kirkland & Ellis had represented the retailers on a pro bono basis. He had argued the signs didn’t differ from those that require diners to wear jackets or require courtroom visitors to avoid “plunging necklines.”
