A Muslim-American bus driver who refused to cover her religious head scarf or slap an MTA logo on it died in poverty more than two years ago — but her decade-long fight for justice can continue, a judge has ruled.
Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Sandra Townes rejected a Metropolitan Transportation Authority motion to dismiss a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit Stephanie Lewis filed in 2004 after she was transferred off her bus route to a lower-paying job in a depot.
The MTA fired Lewis the next year, leaving the diabetic not only without an income but without health insurance to pay for her insulin, Omar Mohammedi, her lawyer said. Her health deteriorated and she had a leg amputated before dying in 2012, Mohammedi said.
“She couldn’t afford anything,” Mohammedi said. “She died in debt. She used to tell me, ‘I would rather die dignified than compromise my religious beliefs.’ I promised to her I would continue fighting for her and one day I go to her grave and tell her justice was done for her.”
If successful, the lawsuit would result in financial damages being paid to Lewis’ estate and children.
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