EEOC Sues Buffalo Wild Wings for Religious Discrimination

ATLANTA - BWW Resources, LLC, which owns and operates Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants, violated federal law when it failed to hire a job candidate because of her religion, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, a server candidate for the Douglasville, Georgia location wore long skirts in public because of her sincerely held religious beliefs. Before she applied, the Douglasville general manager told the candidate at a social gathering that the restaurant was hiring, but also mocked her religious beliefs by throwing her arms in the air, chanting "na na na," and asked her if she were Pentecostal.

After the candidate applied, the restaurant did not interview her or otherwise contact her regarding the open position. The applicant's daughter, who worked at the restaurant, followed up with an assistant manager on her mother's behalf. The assistant manager told the candidate's daughter that the restaurant would not hire her mother because it was unusual for servers to wear long skirts in a sports bar. The general manager then confirmed that she would not hire her mother, even though the restaurant was actively seeking servers at the time and restaurant hired five servers within two months, according to the EEOC's suit.

Such alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits companies from discriminating against their employees based on religion. The EEOC filed suit (1:24-CV-03581 AT CCB) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking back pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages for the employee, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future discrimination.

"Federal law prohibits employers from failing to hire an employee because of their religious practices, as long as accommodating those practices would not place an undue burden on the employer," said Marcus G. Keegan, regional attorney for the EEOC's Atlanta District Office. "This company unlawfully rejected this candidate simply because it believed her religious practices were unusual. The EEOC is here to protect the rights of employees and applicants against religious discrimination."

Darrell Graham, district director of the Atlanta office, said, "All employees have the right to equal employment opportunities, regardless of their religious practices. No individual should be forced to choose between employment and their sincerely held religious beliefs. The EEOC is committed to enforcing those provisions in federal law that protect and enable freedom of religious expression in the workplace."

For more information on religious discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination.

The Atlanta District Office has jurisdiction over the State of Georgia and the State of South Carolina Counties of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper, and Williamsburg.

The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.

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