Swimwear worn by a Muslim teen lifeguard leads to a heated dispute at Philly’s Kelly Pool

The family of a 16-year-old lifeguard says she was dismissed from her job at the city’s John Kelly Pool this week for wearing modest swimwear, in keeping with her religious beliefs.

In a statement, the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for the city to reinstate the teen, who is Muslim.

Susan Slawson, commissioner of Parks and Recreation, on Saturday disputed the family’s account of the Thursday incident. “She was not discriminated against. She was accommodated,” Slawson said.

Slawson said her modest swimsuit wasn’t the issue: The concern was her outer garment, which Slawson said presented safety concerns if worn in the pool.

Slawson added that during a confrontation at the Fairmount Park pool, family members had directed expletives and racial epithets at a Black male staff member.

She said the department would be willing to meet with family members and CAIR officials.

In a news release, CAIR officials said the incident occurred on the girl’s first day on the job.

In an email, legal director Adam Alaa Attia said the lifeguard, whose family did not want her to be identified, wore a long-sleeve rash guard swim shirt and long-leggings rash guard bathing bottoms. A loose-fitting outer garment was then placed over her swimwear “for the times they are sitting on watch and not engaged in the water,” Attia said in an email.

For swift removal, the garment was connected to the swimsuit with a small piece of Velcro.

Despite the lifeguard attire fulfilling safety requirements, the organization stated, she was instructed not to return to her position the following day because of the loose outer garment.

“The young woman’s attire … provided full coverage in accordance with her religious beliefs, and posed no risk to her or others,” the release stated.

As an alternative, the city allegedly offered a 3XL men’s cotton T-shirt, far too big for the young lifeguard, whose own garment was deemed “too flowy,” CAIR said.

It said that the offer disregarded the teen’s religious practices, bodily autonomy, and “undermined any claim that the issue was about fabric or safety.”

Lifeguards are permitted to wear loose hoodies and sweatpants over their swimsuits.

The organization requested a full investigation into the incident and a formal apology to the lifeguard and her family. It also asked that she be reinstated to her job if she wishes to return, and called for citywide training on religious accommodations and antidiscrimination policies.

“This young woman was prepared, professional, and fully qualified,” Attia said in an email. “She was forced to choose between her faith and her employment, a choice no worker should ever have to make, especially in Philadelphia, where the Muslim community is foundational to the city’s identity.”

Slawson said that after speaking with Kelly Pool staffers, the teen’s family, and Quaiser Abdullah, the city’s inaugural director of Muslim engagement, she rejected CAIR’s discrimination contentions.

“She was never asked to remove her rash guard. Her faith was never put into question,” Slawson said. “What she did have on was a safety concern.”

Slawson said Kelly Pool staff asked if the teen could remove a “cape” that was attached to her guard, which would potentially impair her ability to swim through the water.

She said the teen’s mom clarified that it would take only “10 seconds” to remove the outer garment, but Slawson said, “Ten seconds could be someone’s life.”

“You can’t get in the pool with that on because you have to worry about someone getting caught in that guard and possibly drowning because they’re caught in this long cape,” Slawson said. “We weren’t asking her to take off her Muslim attire at all. What we’re asking for is for her to not put the cape on.”

Slawson said the incident escalated when the teen’s family arrived at the community pool and began shouting at a Black male staff member.

Slawson said the teen was paid fully for Thursday’s shift and was invited back to work on Friday. But after the teen said she planned to bring her family back to the pool on Friday, Slawson dismissed the teenager for her scheduled weekend shifts.

“We’re not going to invite trouble,” she said.

Before CAIR Philadelphia released Friday’s statement, Slawson said, she already had planned a meeting on Monday with the teen’s family. Slawson said she also invited members from CAIR Philadelphia to attend.

Slawson said she and others are still willing to have the meeting, and to invite the teen back to her lifeguard role, as well as offer additional shifts to make up for the weekend-long dismissal.

The incident comes as Philadelphia is experiencing a shortage of lifeguards at its pools.

Along with clearing any discriminatory claims or miscommunication regarding safety requirements, Slawson said Parks and Rec wants to ensure another lifeguard isn’t lost in the process.

“We can’t afford to lose any, so it’s important we keep her as a part of our team,” she said.

Staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this article.