March 17, 2006
Discrimination Suits in the News
-Thanks for the Pepperoni
A white former employee of Uno Chicago Grill, owned by Uno Restaurants, who claims he was fired from his job as a server for reporting offensive sexual and racist comments allegedly made by restaurant managers, has sued Uno Restaurants. Plaintiff claims he was subjected to a hostile work environment and unlawful discrimination because of the race and colors of his family members, he is the legal guardian of a black teenager and his sister-in-law is black. In a previous administrative action, the New York State Division of Human Rights found “probable cause” to support plaintiff’s allegations and the EEOC issued a right to sue letter under Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act.
This article states that a former general manager of the restaurant where plaintiff worked admitted to state investigators that he had brought to work a book containing racial jokes. The former general manager also stated that he had been disciplined for this conduct. Uno Restaurants told the state investigators that it has established specific non-discrimination policies prohibiting unlawful conduct in the workplace and that it strictly enforces these policies and follows all federal, state and local rules and regulations.
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In September 2005, the EEOC filed suit against Lithia Cherry Creek Dodge, Inc. of Aurora, Colorado and its franchisor, Lithia Motors, Inc. on behalf of African-American former employees of the dealership. As reported in this article in the Portland Business Journal, the lawsuit has been settled for $562,500.00.