In a suit filed in September, 2013, an East Texas man filed suit against Famous Chicken of Shreveport, LLC, parent company of a Popeye’s, for discrimination due to a disability. According to this article, the Plaintiff applied for employment at a Popeye’s located in Longview, Texas. At the time of his application with the fast food chain, the Plaintiff had many years of experience working in a fast food environment, including working as a general manager.
When he interviewed with the general manager of Popeye’s, the Plaintiff was asked what specific health issue had caused him to leave his previous job. After responding that he is HIV-positive, the manager informed him that he could not work at Popeye’s due to his HIV status and promptly ended the interview.
The Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code does not list HIV as a disease that is transmitted through food.
In addition to the $25,000 awarded to the Plaintiff in this action, the consent decree agreed to between the EEOC and Famous Chicken of Shreveport requires that the company provide its management with education in federal anti-discrimination laws.
Joel Clark, attorney for the Plaintiff, “Pursuing this case is part of the EEOC’s overall strategic effort to encourage employers to prevent discrimination by making hiring decisions that are well-informed, rather than swap judgments that are based on myths, fears and stereotypes about people with HIV.”
If you or someone you know thinks they have experienced discrimination due to a disabilty, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help. Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.