What happened behind the scenes at a Chick-fil-A in Idaho is far from sweet tea and good vibes. A Black employee is coming forward with allegations of racism, mistreatment, and more. The lawsuit aims at the chain’s clean-cut, family-friendly image with disturbing detail.
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What Happened At Chick-fil-A?
Thomas Wade, a Black employee who began working at an Idaho Falls Chick-fil-A in late 2022, describes his experience as the job apparently turned into a nightmare. According to a federal discrimination lawsuit filed in March, Wade endured nearly a year of relentless racist abuse from coworkers. He was reportedly called the n-word, compared to apes and monkeys, and even threatened with being caged like an animal.
In one particularly disturbing incident, Wade alleges he witnessed a simulated “slave whipping,” with someone commenting that “he would know about getting whipped since he is Black.” Additionally, Wade claims that when he attempted to intervene in a conflict between coworkers, he was told, “Shut up ape, before I put you in a cage.” And, when he expressed his intention to report the incident to management, he was allegedly called “monkey-looking a**.” Wade claims he reported the abuse to management, but instead of support, he was fired.
More Details
Despite making between 25 and 30 reports to management about his experiences, Wade asserts that his complaints were ignored. Additionally, Wade was terminated on October 16, 2023, allegedly “because [he] refused to tolerate and continued to report racist behavior and comments by his coworkers,” states the lawsuit.
The report also claims that the company “believed it would be easier” to terminate [Wade’s] employment than take action against the other employees’ discriminatory behavior. Adding fuel to the fire, Wade’s lawsuit also accuses management of dismissing sexual harassment complaints because the alleged harasser was the boss’s son. Meanwhile, the franchise’s owner, Lauren Mosteller, Inc., has denied all allegations and pushed to have the case dismissed. She claims the behavior was “isolated and sporadic,” thus “insufficient” to create a toxic work environment.
What Happens Next?
The lawsuit, now moving through the federal court system, is set for a status conference on July 7th. Wade is suing for discrimination, hostile work environment, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In addition, he’s suing under two provisions of Idaho’s Human Rights Act. Wade is also seeking compensatory, general, statutory, and punitive damages, plus court costs and attorneys’ fees.
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