Deerfield, Naperville restaurants sued for discrimination
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is accusing Naperville and Deerfield locations of a Chicago restaurant chain of racial discrimination for hiring few black workers.
The lawsuit in U.S. District Court says Rosebud Restaurants is in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act for failing or refusing to hire African-Americans based on their race. The restaurants named in the lawsuit include Carmine’s in Chicago; Rosebud Italian Country House and Pizzeria in Deerfield and Rosebud Burger and Comfort Foods in Naperville.
The lawsuit alleges Rosebud’s founder and owner Alex Dana “has expressed a preference not to hire black job applicants.”
A statement from Rosebud Restaurants denies the allegations, saying the company has not and “will not tolerate discrimination of any type toward employees or applicants.”
The EEOC is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.