McDonald’s franchise ‘failed or refused to hire Black applicants’ in Wisconsin, feds say
A Wisconsin franchise that owns nine McDonald’s restaurants either “failed or refused to hire Black applicants because of their race” — and now it has agreed to pay $31,137 in settling a race discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, officials say.
Black applicants who were not hired by a Pensec, Inc. restaurant in Milwaukee were told the manager “don’t like (racial slur)” and that the fast-food chain location needed “Spanish people,” according to a Feb. 28 news release from the EEOC.
That specific location “had a statistically significant shortfall in the hiring of black employees based on census data for the area,” according to the EEOC.
This is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal to discriminate against race, color, national origin, sex or religion.
In a statement to McClatchy News, McDonald’s Owner Operator Rafael Luciano said he is “deeply committed to running a values-led organization, and discrimination or harassment of any kind are not tolerated in my restaurants.”
“I take these allegations seriously and the hiring data I provided the EEOC showed a significant increase in African American employees at our Washington Street location in recent years,” he continued. “I am pleased that we have reached an agreement and can move forward.”
In settling, Pensec, Inc. must also stop discriminating, make its “best efforts” in reaching hiring goals for Black employees and provide training on prohibiting racial discrimination in the workplace.
The corporation will also have to “make regular reports” on its compliance to the EEOC.
“We are pleased that we were able to resolve this case with Pensec,” Julianne Bowman, director of the EEOC’s Chicago District Office, said in a statement. “The consent decree will ensure that the federal laws against discrimination are followed, that all future applicants, regardless of their race, will be given the consideration that they deserve.”
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 5:46 PM with the headline "McDonald’s franchise ‘failed or refused to hire Black applicants’ in Wisconsin, feds say."