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[XiaNaphryz]

http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/07/29/69914.htm

INDIANPOLIS (CN) - Taco Bell fired a general manager who had worked for it for 27 years after a higher-up saw a Latino employee in her restaurant and told her, "Didn't I tell you not to hire Hispanics?" the former manager claims in court.

Juanita O'Connell sued Taco Bell of America in Federal Court. They are the only parties to the lawsuit.

O'Connell, 60, a Mexican-American, had worked at Taco bell since Jan. 10, 1987, and was the general manager of an outlet when she was fired, she says in the lawsuit.

The complaint states: "During the course of plaintiff's employment, defendant's Company Operations Leader, Mark Lewis, told plaintiff not to hire Hispanics.

"Plaintiff complained to defendant's management that such conduct on the part of Lewis was discriminatory.

"Subsequently, Lewis came to plaintiff's store location and saw a Hispanic employee by the name of Feliciano Romero. Lewis remarked to plaintiff, 'Didn't I tell you not to hire Hispanics?' or words to that effect.

Approximately two (2) weeks later, plaintiff's area coach, Bryan Smith, issued plaintiff a disciplinary warning after asking plaintiff misleading questions about her operation.

"Only three (3) hours later, Smith terminated plaintiff's employment, alleging that she violated the Manager Code and had an 'I-9' violation." An I-9 is an immigrant work authorization form.

O'Connell says she was replaced by a 25-year-old black man.

O'Connell seeks lost wages, costs, and damages for civil rights violations (42 U.S.C. §1981), and nationality and gender discrimination.

She is represented by Joel Paul, with Ramey & Haley.

Taco Bell, based in Irvine, Calif., has more than 6,500 outlets, most of them in the United States. It has more than 175,000 employees and about $2 billion a year in revenue.

It is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, which also owns KFC and Pizza Hut. Yum! has more outlets than any other fast-food chain in the world - more than 40,000 of them. It reports annual revenue of about $13 billion.

 

[Calvero]

Damn Yum! must be rolling in money. Never knew they owned so many fast-food chains.

 

[clearacell]

Hope she gets all the monies. Companies can't be doing this shit, I hope it sets an example.

 

[benjipwns]

Mark Lewis better not go into the kitchens of any fine dining restaurants in major cities.

 

[IISANDERII]

But she's Hispanic herself!

 

[AlteredBeast]

Better have gotten this on tape, or it's he said, she said. In this day in age, I don't doubt this could have happened, but usually, racist assholes are racist against anyone not their own

 

[markatisu]

But she's Hispanic herself!

Probably does not "look" it and when you don't look it racists don't know to hate you

 

[ElRenoRaven]

Something doesn't seem right about this. It's actually coming off like she may have had a history of maybe hiring some illegal aliens and they had enough of that and now they're being vindictive. If they did this though then they deserve to pay dearly.

 

[acheron_xl]

I'm not surprised. There's a TB about two blocks from my apartment that fired it's entire Hispanic staff over paperwork bullshit. It has been the shittiest Taco Bell I've ever seen since.

 

[Uncle_Classy]

I wonder what goes through the minds of management who say and do things like that?

I mean, they have to realize that in this day and age they'll get the shit sued out of them at the very least.

 

[Escape Goat]

"Or words to that effect"

Who the hell wrote this?

 

[figadapaura]

Sounds like a shitty place to work. I hope her next job involves less racists.

 

[Watevaman]

I'm wondering why she didn't bring up something when she was initially told not to hire Hispanic workers. Why did she wait until she was fired?

 

[DY_nasty]

I'm wondering why she didn't bring up something when she was initially told not to hire Hispanic workers. Why did she wait until she was fired?

Because she liked her income?

 

[Wolves Evolve]

The cognitive dissonance involved in making sure hispanic people don't prepare hispanic food = super good.

 

[Jams775]

Seems a little fishy since she replaced the hispanic lady with a black guy on top of being hispanic herself. Interesting for sure.

 

[jayhawker]

"Or words to that effect"

Who the hell wrote this?

That's pretty common attorney-hedging. If it's a verified pleading, you don't want to swear a direct quote under oath.

 

[RELAYER]

"Or words to that effect"

Who the hell wrote this?

Please delight us with your exquisite command of the English language.

 

[studyguy]

I remember posting here about the last retail job I had. Mexican manager who straight up hated on other mexicans on the regular. Not even like in a jokingly ironic way, but in ways that garnered complaints from staff and customers. It was awkward working there. If the story is true then I wouldn't bother trying to rationalize it out too much. Regardless of backgrounds some people just have irrational hatred issues they never bother addressing or working through.

 

[Zaptruder]

This feels more like a bullshit reason to fire her and replace her with low cost labour that backfired because it was so blatantly stupid.

 

[Levi]

My wife is half-mexican but passes for white, so she's heard lots of racist statements from people who assumed she was white and would therefore be receptive and commiserate with them about the dirty Mexicans.

 

[Valkyr Junkie]

Seems a little fishy since she replaced the hispanic lady with a black guy on top of being hispanic herself. Interesting for sure.

The only woman manager in this story is the one who was fired.

Either way, I'd wait for more details before throwing stones. It sounds like the real issue is that she may have been hiring illegals.

This is the real reason she was terminated.

Approximately two (2) weeks later, plaintiff's area coach, Bryan Smith, issued plaintiff a disciplinary warning after asking plaintiff misleading questions about her operation.

"Only three (3) hours later, Smith terminated plaintiff's employment, alleging that she violated the Manager Code and had an 'I-9' violation." An I-9 is an immigrant work authorization form.

 

[Winterfang]

I wish I could pass off as Caucasian.

 

[DurielBlack]

When I first saw the title I thought it meant hiring undocumented workers or something.

Apparently this isn't the case.

What a shitty boss.