sparkles504
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
Louisiana
Hi everyone! I am asking your opinion on whether or not I have a discrimination case against my former employer. I have been employed with this company since 2002, when I graduated high school. It is a coffee shop in New Orleans. I have been with 3 different locations, but I've been employed at this location since 2004. The owners of this location took over in 2008, when the old owner sold it to them. They later bought the entire corporation. Under the old owners, I was co-manager, along with another African American employee. When the new owners took over, we were demoted to regular employees and they brought their own management in. The new manager told us that we were never managers, we just kept the store going until it was time for them to take over. Yet he would always come to me asking questions about how to do things around the shop. The customers would always say to him "Take care of our Brandi", and he would do a fake pat on the back and say "Don't worry we love Brandi". But I could sense it was fake. A few months later, the other former co-manager quit, which left me as the only African American employee there. When the new manager moved up to working under corporate, they brought in another manager, who was an open racist. She wanted the assistant manager to fire me because I was black. The assistant manager said she didn't want to because I was a good employee, and the only reason she wanted me gone was because I was black. The manager told her that is why she wanted it to be done by someone else so it didn't fall back on her. Before I could get fired, corporate fired her for an unknown reason. So business went on.
The assistant manager left, and another co-worker of mine got promoted to manager. She and I always would have talks about how much the customers liked us at our location, and all of our business was brought in by our regulars. I've had customers who followed me to the locations I would go to. Many of them didn't even want other employees helping them, they would request for me to do it. I always showed up on time, never asked for off, even worked other people's shifts if they asked me. The only time I didn't go to work was when I was in the hospital for 2 weeks with blood clots.
On June 14, at the end of my shift, I was called into the office by the current manager and former manager who now does work for corporate and was told that have to let me go. I asked why and he said because too many customers were complaining about my service. I knew that was a lie and asked what was said. His exact words were "I'm not getting into it with you!" He said in the past week alone, they've received numerous phone calls about me. It's crazy because I only work 3 days out the week, and have never had any complaints. As I'm talking to them in the back, another employee came back there to tell them that the new hire was out front, and they told her to tell the girl they would be out in a minute. They already had someone to come in and take my place. On my termination slip they wrote: After several issues with customers she was terminated. I have never been written up in all my years employed there, I've never had a verbal counsel, or anything that would point to my service being questioned. I believe because I was fired because I was the only African American employee at that location, and the location is in an all white area.
Also, they are appealing my unemployment. I received two weeks of unemployment benefits, then received a letter stating that there is an issue in regards to my reason for separation. This company is doing everything they can to get rid of me.
I also want to add that the company has a commercial that airs all the time. I was chosen to be in this commercial because I was told that I have the best customer service at that location.
I also babysit for many of the customers that used to go into that coffee shop. Once they found out I was fired, they ceased being customers there. Several of them also wrote letters to corporate saying what was done to me wasn't right. Do I have a case? If I do, I am nervous because the owners of the corporation are lawyers themselves and will fight to the end against me.
Thanks for your time!!!
Louisiana
Hi everyone! I am asking your opinion on whether or not I have a discrimination case against my former employer. I have been employed with this company since 2002, when I graduated high school. It is a coffee shop in New Orleans. I have been with 3 different locations, but I've been employed at this location since 2004. The owners of this location took over in 2008, when the old owner sold it to them. They later bought the entire corporation. Under the old owners, I was co-manager, along with another African American employee. When the new owners took over, we were demoted to regular employees and they brought their own management in. The new manager told us that we were never managers, we just kept the store going until it was time for them to take over. Yet he would always come to me asking questions about how to do things around the shop. The customers would always say to him "Take care of our Brandi", and he would do a fake pat on the back and say "Don't worry we love Brandi". But I could sense it was fake. A few months later, the other former co-manager quit, which left me as the only African American employee there. When the new manager moved up to working under corporate, they brought in another manager, who was an open racist. She wanted the assistant manager to fire me because I was black. The assistant manager said she didn't want to because I was a good employee, and the only reason she wanted me gone was because I was black. The manager told her that is why she wanted it to be done by someone else so it didn't fall back on her. Before I could get fired, corporate fired her for an unknown reason. So business went on.
The assistant manager left, and another co-worker of mine got promoted to manager. She and I always would have talks about how much the customers liked us at our location, and all of our business was brought in by our regulars. I've had customers who followed me to the locations I would go to. Many of them didn't even want other employees helping them, they would request for me to do it. I always showed up on time, never asked for off, even worked other people's shifts if they asked me. The only time I didn't go to work was when I was in the hospital for 2 weeks with blood clots.
On June 14, at the end of my shift, I was called into the office by the current manager and former manager who now does work for corporate and was told that have to let me go. I asked why and he said because too many customers were complaining about my service. I knew that was a lie and asked what was said. His exact words were "I'm not getting into it with you!" He said in the past week alone, they've received numerous phone calls about me. It's crazy because I only work 3 days out the week, and have never had any complaints. As I'm talking to them in the back, another employee came back there to tell them that the new hire was out front, and they told her to tell the girl they would be out in a minute. They already had someone to come in and take my place. On my termination slip they wrote: After several issues with customers she was terminated. I have never been written up in all my years employed there, I've never had a verbal counsel, or anything that would point to my service being questioned. I believe because I was fired because I was the only African American employee at that location, and the location is in an all white area.
Also, they are appealing my unemployment. I received two weeks of unemployment benefits, then received a letter stating that there is an issue in regards to my reason for separation. This company is doing everything they can to get rid of me.
I also want to add that the company has a commercial that airs all the time. I was chosen to be in this commercial because I was told that I have the best customer service at that location.
I also babysit for many of the customers that used to go into that coffee shop. Once they found out I was fired, they ceased being customers there. Several of them also wrote letters to corporate saying what was done to me wasn't right. Do I have a case? If I do, I am nervous because the owners of the corporation are lawyers themselves and will fight to the end against me.
Thanks for your time!!!