Muslim family accuses Domino’s of food tampering and Islamophobia in civil rights complaint
The family says a Waterford store employee tainted pizzas with pork and made racist, anti-Muslim remarks
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A Muslim civil rights group has filed a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights accusing a Domino’s Pizza in Waterford of religious discrimination after a family’s food was allegedly tampered with and a store employee made Islamophobic remarks.
The complaint, filed by the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), stems from an incident in February when two Muslim women and their children ordered pizzas and asked for no pork. When they opened the boxes, both pizzas were topped with pork — an ingredient prohibited in Islam — and one contained a hair embedded in the cheese.
The women, wearing traditional Muslim attire, told the employee not to include pork, the complaint says. After discovering the pork and hair, the family became concerned their food had been intentionally tampered with because of their faith.
According to a complaint, a witness at the store later told one of the women that a male employee “made derogatory, racist and Islamophobic comments in reference to Complainants,” and that the employee’s behavior suggested “intentional and targeted discriminatory behavior motivated by religion and race.”
“This was apparently not an innocent mistake or a customer service issue — it was a targeted act of religious discrimination that humiliated and endangered a Muslim family,” CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid said. “We are demanding accountability from Domino’s Pizza and a full investigation from the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.”
The women contacted store management, Domino’s corporate headquarters, and the Waterford Township Police Department. CAIR-MI also sent letters demanding accountability but said it received no response from the company.
The civil rights complaint accuses Domino’s of violating Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in public accommodations.
The complaint also cites the company’s failure to meaningfully address the women’s concerns afterward.
Amy V. Doukoure, staff attorney for CAIR-MI, said the case is about more than a mishandled order.
“It’s about holding businesses accountable when they permit or ignore blatant acts of Islamophobia, and about ensuring Muslim families can access public spaces and services without fear of being harassed or targeted,” Doukoure said.
Waterford police have completed an investigation and submitted a request for criminal charges to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, according to CAIR-MI.
The organization is urging any witnesses to come forward.
Metro Times couldn’t immediately reach Domino’s for comment.
