Supreme Court Adds Muslim Headscarf Case

Did retailer Abercrombie & Fitch discriminate against a Muslim woman who was denied a job because her headscarf clashed with the company's dress code? That's the question in one of the 11 cases the Supreme Court said today it will take on in its new term. The justices took no action on the highly anticipated issue of same-sex marriage, though a decision on the gay marriage cases could come later this month. In other notable cases, the court will:

• Consider taking away a powerful legal tactic the Obama administration has used to combat housing discrimination. It's the third time in recent years that the Supreme Court has considered a challenge to the legal theory known as disparate impact. The strategy uses statistics to show that certain policies can harm racial minorities even when there is no intent to discriminate.

• Decide whether judicial candidates have a First Amendment right to solicit campaign contributions.
• Weigh Arizona Republicans' challenge to an independent redistricting commission that is intended to take partisanship out of drawing political maps.

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