A franchisee of the well-known restaurant chain Applebee’s recently faced a discrimination lawsuit over sexual orientation and race.
Neighborhood Restaurant Partners (NRP) Florida, LLC, which operates an Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill restaurant in Plant City, FL, agreed to pay $100,000 to settle the lawsuit, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said in a press release.
The federal agency said it filed the lawsuit against the company after it allegedly violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, and retaliation.
“At Neighborhood Restaurant Partners Florida, we are committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for all. We have used this isolated incident as a learning opportunity and will make training available to ensure that our restaurants are a place where all feel welcome and respected,” Pamela Jones, vice president of marketing on behalf of Neighborhood Restaurant Partners, told HRD.
Applebee’s, as well as popular chain restaurant IHOP, are owned by Glendale, CA-based Dine Brands Global.
Discrimination in the workplace
Based on EEOC’s lawsuit, two restaurant staff verbally harassed a Black employee by continuously subjecting him to racial and homophobic epithets.
“In addition to making derogatory comments, one of the harassers wore Confederate flag paraphernalia while he was working at the restaurant,” the EEOC said.
The federal agency also said that during the cases of...
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