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Panera Bread Racial Discrimination Class Action
By Kimberly Mirando
A second potential class action lawsuit has been filed against a Panera Bread franchise in Pennsylvania alleging the owner had a policy of keeping “fat, black or ugly” people off the cash registers and out of management positions.
According to the class action discrimination lawsuit, Panera Bread franchisee Covelli Enterprises discouraged managers from hiring African Americans and relegated them to menial, back-of-the-store roles to keep them away from customers. The lawsuit was filed by a former African American employee who claims he was forced to quit because of the alleged discrimination.
His class action lawsuit follows a November lawsuit filed against the same franchisee by a former Panera Bread manager who claims he was fired after objecting to the alleged discriminatory policies.
Covelli Enterprises responded to the allegations in a statement reading, “These complaints represent a coordinated attempt by two disgruntled former employees to discredit the company for a profit motive.”
The statement went on to say the second employee did not quit because of alleged discrimination, but rather “walked off his shift in the wake of being disciplined for repeatedly violating the company’s dress code policy and other company policies related to health and safety standards.”
Covelli Enterprises denies the accusations of discrimination, saying the franchisee “maintained policies prohibiting unlawful conduct and [kept] a work environment free from unlawful discrimination.”
The second Panera Bread discrimination class action lawsuit is seeking actual, compensatory and punitive damages, and is seeking to represent all African Americans hired at Panera Bread branches owned by Covelli Enterprises, which is based in Warren, Ohio. It is not seeking to represent overweight or “ugly” people.
Updated January 16th, 2012
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20 thoughts onPanera Bread Racial Discrimination Class Action
I worked for panera bread for about 5yrs and was let go after almost dying and being in the hospital for a week. Over my 5yrs there there were numerous times where my clock in and clock out time were changed to avoid overtime or violating my lunch. There were also numerous times they had me clock out for lunch but work through my lunch break and not ever getting time for a lunch, I was denied alot to have my legal 10min breaks and times they had me come in early or stay late and adjusted my times to avoid overtime and told they would “add time” to another day where I might be sent home early but they never added the time in the system. I was let go for unfair reasons and gel I was retaliated against due to getting sick what can I do about this
I live in Florida and recently moved. Is it too late to change my address?
8559480304 this is the phone to update any information
Does anyone have the number to contact to check status