Religious Discrimination. Gina Gomez, a devout Roman Catholic, worked for Sam’s Department Stores, Inc., in Phoenix, Arizona. Sam’s considered Gomez a productive employee because her sales exceeded...

Religious Discrimination. Gina Gomez, a devout
Roman Catholic, worked for Sam’s Department Stores, Inc.,
in Phoenix, Arizona. Sam’s considered Gomez a productive
employee because her sales exceeded $200,000 per year. At
the time, the store gave its managers the discretion to grant
unpaid leave to employees but prohibited vacations or leave
during the holiday season—October through December.
Gomez felt that she had a “calling” to go on a “pilgrimage” in October to a location in Bosnia where some persons
claimed to have had visions of the Virgin Mary. The Catholic
Church had not designated the site an official pilgrimage site,
the visions were not expected to be stronger in October, and
tours were available at other times. The store managers denied
Gomez’s request for leave, but she had a nonrefundable ticket
and left anyway. Sam’s terminated her employment, and she
could not find another job. Can Gomez establish a prima facie
case of religious discrimination? Explain. (See Title VII of the
Civil Rights Act.)