Buffalo Wild Wings Sued Over Allegations of Racial, Age Discrimination

A Buffalo Wild Wings location in Overland Park was recently named in a lawsuit over allegations of racial, age, and disability discrimination.

Buffalo Wild Wings in Overland Park is in hot water over a lawsuit regarding allegations of racial discrimination. Additionally, former employees claim the restaurant made a “racially hostile work environment.”

According to the lawsuit, which was filed by a former employee, the general manager of the restaurant “referred to him as an angry black man.” On top of that, he alleged “servers were allowed to deny service to black customers and were allowed to give them sub-par service.” The alleged discrimination occurred between late 2016 and 2017. Prior to that, the former employee worked for Buffalo Wild Wings for “12 years as a cook and staff trainer.” Unfortunately, the long-time employee was fired in October 2017 for allegedly being late, though he argues in the suit that he was “singled out and treated differently than other employees.”

The suit also notes that the only reason he was late was “because he needed to get an oxygen tank for a sick relative that he cared for, and that he notified managers of this in accordance with the attendance policy.” When commenting on the case, the former employee’s attorney, Gerald Gary, II, said:

“We filed the lawsuit based on the facts and experiences Mr. Lovelace faced during his 12 years of employment at Buffalo Wild Wings. We intend to litigate this matter in court and Buffalo Wild Wings will have the opportunity to defend these allegations. Our goal is not only to obtain justice for Mr. Lovelace but to ensure things like those alleged in the lawsuit don’t continue in today’s America. There are laws that protect against this type of behavior and if you believe you’ve experienced discriminatory or retaliatory treatment, seek help. Based on the public response since this story broke, we are confident in our case and if anyone believes they have information related to the allegations in the lawsuit, please contact Mr. Lovelace’s attorney.”

In response to the allegations, a Buffalo Wild Wings spokesperson said:

“We take the allegations very seriously and are conducting an internal investigation. Buffalo Wild Wings values an inclusive environment and we have no tolerance for discrimination of any kind.”

Also named in the suit as a defendant is Inspire Brands, the parent company of Buffalo Wild Wings. In addition to racial discrimination allegations, the suit accuses the defendants of age and disability discrimination. Since the former employee began speaking up about his experiences, a new general manager has taken over the Overland Park location at 105th Street.

Sources:

Former employee files racial discrimination lawsuit against local Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings former cook claims racial discrimination against him and black customers