Richard Pryce has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, alleging race-based discrimination and retaliation. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on December 27, 2024, targeting Walker Food Services, Inc., which operates as Walker Bros. The Original Pancake House.
The case stems from a series of alleged discriminatory practices by Walker Food Services against Richard Pryce, an African American who had been employed by the company since 2008. Pryce claims that during his tenure as a manager and later as an assistant regional manager, he faced racial discrimination and harassment, particularly related to his hairstyle. In 2020, amid the pandemic when barbershops were closed, Pryce grew out his hair. His supervisor, Ray Walker, allegedly criticized his hairstyle while not expressing similar concerns about non-African American employees' hairstyles. This led Pryce to believe that his hair was being targeted due to racial bias.
In 2021, during a business downturn, Pryce was temporarily laid off and suspected that his hairstyle played a role in this decision. When rehired in 2022 at another location as an Assistant Regional Manager, he was again let go after Ray Walker discovered his new position and insisted that he cut his hair to keep the job. Following this incident and despite changes in state law with the enactment of the Illinois CROWN Act—which prohibits discrimination based on hairstyles associated with specific racial groups—Pryce was not rehired when he reapplied for a managerial position in September 2024.
Pryce's lawsuit alleges violations under several statutes including Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title VII of the same act. He accuses Walker Food Services of systemic race discrimination manifesting through unfair employment practices such as termination based on race-related factors and failure to rehire due to opposition against unlawful discrimination practices. Additionally, Pryce contends that these actions constitute retaliatory discharge under Illinois common law for asserting rights protected by Title VII and other state laws like the CROWN Act.
In seeking redress from the court, Richard Pryce is demanding back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages for emotional distress suffered due to discriminatory acts, attorney fees, costs incurred from litigation efforts, pre-judgment interest if applicable along with any further relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Richard Pryce is attorney Chad W. Eisenback from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while details regarding defense counsel remain undisclosed within this document. The case is assigned Case ID: 1:24-cv-13286.