Religious discrimination still exists! and sadly, Samantha Elauf fell victim to it when she applied for a job at a children’s store owned by Abercrombie & Fitch. However, Samantha wasn’t just going to let it slide. She took the matters to the court and was delivered justice. A glimpse of which is featured on Netflix’s White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch.
Get to know her better as this Samantha Elauf Bio proceeds.
Samantha Elauf On Netflix’s White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch
Netflix’s 2022 an hour and a half documentary White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch explored the brand’s pop culture in the late 1990s and early 2000s and how it thrived on exclusion. And among its myriad of controversies, there appeared Samantha Elauf in an interview accusing the company of religious discrimination.
It was 2007 when Samantha first applied for a job at a children’s store owned by Abercrombie & Fitch. The store was located at a mall in Tulsa, Oklahoma. So, for the interview, she wore a headscarf (a hijab) and it all went well. However, though the assistant manager liked her and wanted to offer her a job, the district manager pushed her for lower scores and disqualified her just because she wore a headscarf.
While Abercrombie & Fitch did have a dress policy for their salespeople, Samantha believed that a headscarf wouldn’t be a problem as they previously hired a Jewish employee who wore a yarmulke. Thus, in September 2009, Samantha with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Abercrombie & Fitch for religious discrimination.
Justice delivered! The jury then awarded Samantha $20,000 in compensatory damages.
But then again, in October 2013, the case was overturned on appeal stating that Samantha never mentioned that she needed religious accommodation. The case then eventually made its way to the Supreme Court, and in June 2015, the jury again ruled in favor of Samantha with an 8-1 vote.
In the end, Samantha ended up receiving over $25,000 in damages in addition to court costs.
Where Is Samantha Elauf Today?
Samantha Elauf today is a fashion blogger, and still lives in Oklahoma with her husband.
After winning the battle against Abercrombie & Fitch, Samantha was even invited to meet President Obama in June 2015. Furthermore, the next year, she received the Oklahoma Changing World Prize from the Woody Guthrie Center. No wonder, she’s in the limelight today.
Looking back on the lawsuit, Samantha shared it she stood up for what she “believed was right and fair.” Even though she received threats and personal attacks on social media and email, she felt as if it was not only an attack on her but also an attack on her “race, beliefs, and everything.” And this is what kept her going.
Samantha Elauf Age
Samantha Elauf was born on July 26, 1990. That made her 31 years of age when her interview appeared on White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch in 2022.
Also, this means she was 17 when she applied for a job at Abercrombie & Fitch.
Samantha Elauf Job
Samantha Elauf is now a full-time fashion blogger and sells her merch at “barelybasicscarves.bigcartel.com.”
She quit her job of almost 4 years as a store manager at Forever 21 in March 2020. “Going to miss my Forever 21 Fam!! I seriously got to work with some of the best people. Forever thankful,” she took it to her FB to write after quitting Forever 21.
Prior to that, Samantha worked as a store merchandising manager at Urban Outfitters for 1 and a half years.
Also, Samantha previously worked as a visual merchandising manager at Forever 21 from July 2008 to Jan 2016.
As for her education, Samantha received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University in 2015.
Is Samantha Elauf Married?
Yes, Samantha Elauf was married as of 2022. Her husband, Sami Mustapha is an Oklahoma State University 2013 graduate and worked as a Sr. Analyst at Verizon in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The two were engaged on May 21, 2014, and married within a year.
Sami turned 32 on December 8, 2021.
Besides sharing the same university, Samantha and Sami also share a passion for traveling. The two visited Paris, and Mykonos in 2018, Turks and Caicos in 2019, and Dubai in 2022.
Well, their travel plans were halted due to the pandemic in 2020.
Samantha Elauf Family
Samantha Elauf comes from a family of five. Sadly, her father, Raid Ata Elauf passed away on March 31, 2014, at the age of 50.
As for Samantha’s mother, she just celebrated her 53rd birthday on May 2, 2021. On her 2016 birthday, Samantha took it to her FB to share a pic of them captioned, “Happy birthday to my mama! Love her so much and so thankful for all that she does & for being real.”
Talking about her siblings, Samantha’s sister Susan N Elauf turned 30 in Oct 2021, and her brother Joe Elauf received his license as a real estate agent in Feb 2016.
Related FAQs
-
Where Is Samantha Elauf From?
Samantha hails from Broken Arrow, OK.
Her family has Palestinian roots.
-
Is Samantha Elauf On Facebook?
Yes, find her on Facebook @samanthaiman.
Also, here’s her Instagram @samanthaiman.
