Summary: A man sued Chick-Fil-A because he heard they didn’t hire disabled employees.
Chick-Fil-A is known for its gloriously juicy chicken and its crisp waffle-cut fries; but it’s also famous for its religious stance against gay marriage. Now, a new lawsuit claims the Christian company discriminates against the disabled as well.
A 25-year-old autistic man wanted a job at an Illinois Chick-Fil-A. He worked with a job coach, and he told the coach he wanted to work at the fast food chain. While the man never met with the hiring manager or anyone officially from Chick-Fil-A, he said that his job coach spoke with someone from the company; and the job coach was informed Chick-Fil-A did not hire people with disabilities.
“When the job coach reiterated that she thought [the plaintiff] would do a good job, the branch manager stated that people with disabilities would not be able to succeed at Chick-fil-A,” the complaint stated. “Because of the branch manager’s statements, [the plaintiff] did not complete a formal employment application to work at Chick-fil-A.”
The plaintiff said that he had experience working in hospitality. In 2013, he was a part of a work-study program, and he said he had excelled while working at Bakers Restaurant.
The lawsuit accuses Chick-Fil-A of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act when the manager allegedly said they were not interested in hiring someone with a disability. The plaintiff said he should have been given an assessment to see if he was fit to work and that the company failed to accommodate him. Although he did not apply for the job, he is seeking back pay as well as damages.
Chick-Fil-A told The Consumerist that they were in the midst of writing a response to the lawsuit.
This is not the first time the chicken chain has courted controversy. Its president Dan Cathy has been vocal about his anti-homosexuality views, and the company has been known to donate to organizations that fight gay marriage. In 2013, Cathy found himself in boiling oil when he tweeted his dismay struck down the Defense of Marriage Act.
Source: The Consumerist
Photo courtesy of The Nice Nerd Blog
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