September 20th 2023.
Sweetgreen, a fast casual restaurant chain, is being sued by ten employees alleging racist incidents at seven of their New York City locations. The lawsuit claims that employees were subjected to the “N-word” and other racial slurs on a daily basis by co-workers and managers. Furthermore, the plaintiffs state that managers gave preferential treatment to Hispanic/Latine workers and refused to hire or promote qualified Black workers. They also allege that managers leaned into racial stereotypes, such as calling Black employees lazy while praising the Hispanic/Latine workers for their work ethic.
The lawsuit also states that the employees had complained to Sweetgreen’s HR department regarding the hostile work environment, but those complaints were ignored for years. In addition, female workers were allegedly subjected to sexual harassment, with managers touching them inappropriately and making sexual comments.
In response to the lawsuit, Sweetgreen released a statement to CNBC, saying that they are “committed to diversity as well as a safe and inclusive workplace” and “do not tolerate any form of harassment, discrimination, or unsafe working conditions.” Sweetgreen also stated they could not make any further comments on the situation due to it being a pending legal matter.
The original complaint filed in March 2023 only had two plaintiffs, but has since been updated to add eight more. The plaintiffs are now seeking monetary and punitive damages, as well as for their attorney costs to be covered. The lawsuit was filed in the Bronx Supreme Court and names Donald Izquierdo and Edwin Ventura, along with Sweetgreen’s corporate division, as defendants.
New York Eater reported that an unnamed manager at the Gansevoort Street location was accused of calling employees “monkeys” regularly and refusing to stop the use of the “N-word” by non-Black employees. Avi Mermelstein, one of the plaintiffs’ lawyers, said in an interview with New York Eater, “For too many Black employees, having to listen to managers and co-workers use racial slurs is just a part of their daily work environment. That’s both wrong and illegal. Being exposed to constant harassment creates a hostile and psychologically unsafe work environment, and companies simply must do better to protect their employees.”
This lawsuit is an important reminder of the need to ensure workplaces are free of racism and discrimination. Companies have an obligation to create a safe and inclusive environment for all of their employees.
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