The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against JBS Swift & Co. over mistreatment of Somali Muslim workers at its Grand Island plant.

The lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Omaha says the Muslim workers weren't allowed to leave their posts to pray, as required under federal law. The lawsuit also says workers were harassed because of their prayer requests.

Hundreds of Muslim workers walked off the job in 2008 because they wanted time to pray. That led to mass firings.

The lawsuit seeks an order requiring JBS Swift to provide prayer time and to refrain from retaliating against workers who ask to pray. It also seeks back pay for the fired workers.

A message left Monday with JBS Swift wasn't immediately
returned.