The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Darden Restaurants Inc., accusing the operator of a nationwide pattern of age discrimination at its Seasons 52 restaurant chain, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.
The EEOC sued Orlando, Fla.-based Darden in a federal district court in Miami, claiming that Seasons 52 has been discriminating against applicants 40 and older for positions such as servers, hosts and bartenders when opening new restaurants.
According to the lawsuit, Seasons 52 hiring officials would travel to new restaurant openings to oversee staffing. Older, unsuccessful applicants were given varying explanations for their failure to be hired, including “too experienced,” the restaurant’s desire for “fresh employees” and that the chain “wasn’t looking for old white guys.”
“We deny the allegations. We fully investigated this claim when it first arose more than four years ago, and the allegations were not substantiated. We are proud of our commitment to diversity, and the EEOC's claims are inconsistent with our business philosophy and the manner in which we operate. We will defend this claim vigorously,” a Darden spokesman said in a statement Thursday.
The EEOC is a federal agency that enforces federal discrimination laws. The agency said it filed the lawsuit after trying to reach a settlement with Darden. The agency is seeking monetary relief for applicants allegedly denied employment because of their age. It also wants Seasons 52 to develop “strong policies and procedures” to prevent discrimination, as well as training of managers and employees.
“This case represents one example of the barriers to hiring that some job applicants face,” Malcolm Medley, district director for the EEOC’s Miami District Office, said in a statement.
Seasons 52 is part of Darden’s Specialty Restaurant Group. The concept had 42 locations as of Nov. 23. Same-store sales rose 1.2 percent in the company’s second quarter ended Nov. 23. Darden also owns the Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Bahama Breeze, The Capital Grille and Eddie V’s Prime Seafood chains.
Contact Jonathan Maze at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @jonathanmaze