A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a fast-food chain, alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. Michael Ellison filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 26, 2024, accusing Arby’s Roast Beef of discriminatory practices.
According to the court documents, Ellison, an African American, was employed as a cook at Arby's from May 1, 2024, until his termination on May 25, 2024. He claims that during his employment, he was subjected to different terms and conditions than his non-African American colleagues. The complaint details an incident two weeks before his termination when Ellison reported his manager Carlos for being intoxicated at work. In response, Carlos allegedly used racial slurs against Ellison and told him to "Go home." Despite reporting this incident to Marge, the assistant general manager, no remedial action was taken.
Ellison asserts that his termination was a direct result of his complaints about racial discrimination. He further alleges that after contacting corporate headquarters on June 17, 2024, Marge was terminated and another manager apologized for how he had been treated. However, by then the damage had already been done as Ellison had lost his job.
The lawsuit cites violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1981 of the same act. Ellison's legal team argues that Arby’s engaged in systemic race discrimination and failed to address a hostile work environment. They claim that these actions were intentional and in reckless disregard of Ellison's protected rights under federal law.
Ellison is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages, reasonable attorney fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
The case is being handled by Chad W. Eisenback from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while no information about Arby's legal representation is provided in the document. The case ID is 3:24-cv-50356.