EEOC sues restaurant for firing employee who reported discrimination

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Monday that it sued an Atlanta restaurant for firing a Black sous chef in training for repeatedly reporting discriminatory behavior.

The EEOC said in its suit against Iron Hill Brewery of Buckhead LLC and Iron Hill Brewery LLC that the male employee was fired after complaining that managers were mistreating minority employees and women, including by not providing a private space to express breast milk.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Atlanta, says the fired employee began working at Iron Hill as a line chef in November 2020 and was promoted to sous chef in training. In June 2021, he first reported to a regional manager that trainers were discriminating against Black and Hispanic women and employees. 

The company said he was terminated in July 2021 because the eatery has a “zero tolerance” policy on workplace discrimination, according to the EEOC.

The agency said it filed the suit after failing to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.