Takeaway: Operations with multiple small outlets and dispersed management may be particularly prone to being sued for alleged violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

A laundromat worker’s claims of discriminatory and retaliatory termination, a hostile work environment, refusal to accommodate her disability, and unpaid wages produced sufficient evidence to be heard by a jury, according to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court sent the claims back to the trial court for further proceedings.

The claims stated that from December 2018 until her termination in April 2019, a Black woman of Jamaican descent worked as a customer service attendant for a laundromat chain. The attendant worked primarily at one location but occasionally picked up shifts at two other locations.

An alleged cycle of abuse involving layers of management began in February 2019. The attendant’s supervisor began to make derogatory comments to her daily, telling her that she was “too ‘hood’ and ‘ghetto’ to work” for the employer.

The attendant reported this to the district lead, who took no action. A new district lead also began routinely making derogatory comments, telling her she “looked like Aunt Jemima” and describing her as “talking Jamaican.”

Upon her doctor’s instructions following a broken thumb, the attendant asked that she not be required to lift more than 25 pounds. The supervisor said she “shouldn’t have this job” if she needed an accommodation and still...

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