Surprise: discrimination lawsuit against fat-cat Republican Bill McCormick's restaurant

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http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/fdb5f67e8e399f1e5dc541690680bf9c.htm

EEOC files lawsuit against McCormick & Schmick's

EEOC alleges discrimination at McCormick & Schmick's restaurants
April 22, 2008: 11:29 AM EST

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a class action lawsuit on Monday against McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant Inc., alleging race discrimination against black applicants and employees at its two Baltimore restaurants.

The EEOC alleges that the restaurant's management refused to hire black applicants for publicly visible positions at its Baltimore restaurants for a period spanning Jan. 1, 1998 to present. The jobs included servers, cocktail servers, host/hostess and bartender.

A spokeswoman for the Portland-based restaurant chain said the company is "an equal employment opportunity employer that maintains policies prohibiting unlawful discrimination or harassment."

"Notwithstanding this, our practice is not to discuss specific details that are the subject of such claims as it may impair our ability to successfully resolve them," said Liz Brady, the spokeswoman.

The EEOC also alleges that since September 2003, the company "segregated front-of-house black applicants and employees by disproportionately assigning them to positions at one of the restaurants rather than the other because of their race."

[MADem]

1. I ate at one of those restaurants--great location by the water. Dock and eat!

I dined there with former DC Mayor Marion Barry once (well, not WITH him--he pulled up on a good sized yatch with a bunch of friends). Better than a floor show, that dining experience!

Never knew that joint was owned by a Republican. I guess I'll not eat there anymore, not just because of the GOP business, but because of the EEOC stuff. I find that rather off-putting.

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2. In Baltimore? Go to this place instead:

http://www.johnstevenltd.com/awards.html

[Diane R]

3. I knew Doug Schmick when he lived on food stamps & worked w/ disabled people. He's no racist.

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4. I believe you, but something seems to be wrong at that restaurant.

[Diane R]

8. You know, that was the mid '70's. He may have well changed a lot with all his success.

[devilgrrl]

5. I've always heard that McCormick & Schmick's food was crap

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's owned by a rightwing fucktard.

[swag]

6. 2004 "Bush Pioneer", now US Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa

http://www.nndb.com/people/932/000122566/

More Bush-style Crony Capitalism.

I'm sure he's doing a heckuva job.

[shanti]

7. it is

ate at their restaurant in anaheim a couple of weekends ago - WAY overpriced and the food was awful. i'll never return. If i'd known who the owner was, i'd never have gone in the first place!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. That is interesting...

My husband and I regularly eat at their El Segundo restaurant, and are enormously impressed with the food, the service and the people...

Sorry your experience was awful...

[shanti]

11. maybe because of its proximity

to disneyland. who knows? :shrug: all i know is that i won't return.

[ColbertWatcher]

10. A Republican owns a restaurant?

I wonder if they use utensils and say motherfucker when they order iced tea?