A sports eatery chain will pay $125,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit after allegedly using racial slurs against a biracial employee and firing her after learning of her mental health condition.
Bennett Enterprises Inc., operating as Ralphie’s Sports Eatery, reached the settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission following allegations that a biracial server with depression and anxiety faced harassment and discrimination at its Kenton, Ohio location.
According to the EEOC, the employee’s direct supervisor used racial slurs and derogatory language toward her. After the restaurant learned of her disability, management denied her a promotion, suspended her, and eventually terminated her employment.
The former server then filed a discrimination charge with the EEOC. Following her complaint, Bennett Enterprises allegedly refused to hire her at another Ralphie’s location, explicitly citing her active EEOC claim as the reason.
“Employers cannot violate multiple anti-discrimination statutes and then retaliate against employees for enforcing their rights under those laws,” said Debra Lawrence, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office.
Settlement terms
The two-year consent decree requires Bennett Enterprises to:
- Pay $125,000 in back pay and compensatory damages to the former employee
- Provide periodic reporting to ensure compliance with federal discrimination laws
- Conduct live training for management, human resources staff, and non-supervisory employees
The EEOC lawsuit alleged violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race discrimination and retaliation, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
The agency filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio after attempts to reach a pre-litigation settlement failed.
The EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office, which handled the case, has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and parts of New Jersey and Ohio.
