Little Caesars franchise owner sued in federal court over racial harassment
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced Thursday that it filed a federal lawsuit against the franchise owner of Little Caesars restaurants in Bellingham, Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley over allegations of racism targeting Black employees.
Court records obtained by The Bellingham Herald allege that the Bellingham-based Target Market Enterprises, Inc. violated federal law by failing to stop employees at the Mount Vernon location from using racial slurs despite knowledge of the behavior, promoting the harassers to shift lead positions and firing an employee who reported the harassment.
According to the lawsuit filed on Sept. 30, managers at the Mount Vernon Little Caesars learned in 2022 that a non-Black employee identified as J.G. was using the n-word, but supervisors did not discipline him or take any corrective action.
J.G. used the n-word again twice in March 2024, loudly enough for customers to hear. The general manager, who was white, issued him a written warning, but did not inform the regional manager that she had done so, according to court documents.
She promoted J.G. to shift lead later that year, meaning that he was in charge of the restaurant and other employees after the general manager left for the day. In this role, J.G. and another non-Black employee, identified as A.G. allegedly called three Black crew members racial slurs and made derogatory comments. They also made the Black employees do “the most menial tasks” like washing dishes their entire shifts.
Multiple employees complained to the general manager and shift leads about the misconduct, but court records allege that no action was taken. One Black employee complained to J.G. about A.G. repeatedly calling him the n-word in September 2024, but J.G. did nothing.
A.G. was promoted to a shift lead that same month, according to court records.
Additional complaints led to the general manager telling an employee they “would just need to deal with it,” the lawsuit states.
J.G. was fired in late September after the employee at the center of the lawsuit complained to the regional manager. However, racist comments from A.G. continued. Court records show that one Black employee was so frustrated that they placed a sticky note reading “[A.G.] hates Black people” in an employees-only area of the restaurant. The employee was then fired.
The EEOC alleges that the actions taken by the franchise owner “were done with malice or with reckless indifference to the federally protected rights” of employees. In a press release, the director of the commission’s Seattle Field Office called the incident “appalling.”
The EEOC is requesting monetary damages be awarded to all three Black employees impacted by the misconduct, including back pay with interest for the one who was fired, in amounts to be determined at trial. They are also requesting that the court prohibit Target Market Enterprises, Inc. from failing to correct a hostile work environment, retaliating against employees participating in protected EEOC activities. They also are seeking the implementation of policies and practices that provide equal opportunities for all employees.
The case was temporarily put on hold due to the government shutdown, but the stay was lifted Dec. 3. Target Market Enterprises, Inc. must respond to the court summons by Feb. 2.