Salad chain Sweetgreen accused of race, sex bias at NYC stores

SWEETGREEN

14/09/2023 17:51

By Daniel Wiessner
       Sept 14 (Reuters) - Sweetgreen Inc  SG.N  is being sued
by a group of Black and female employees at seven of the salad
chain's New York City locations who claim they faced racial and
sexual harassment.
    The complaint filed on Thursday in New York state court in
the Bronx, which broadens a lawsuit first filed in March, claims
that workers faced anti-Black racial slurs and female employees
were subjected to sexual comments and unwanted touching. 
    Managers also refused to promote Black workers and showed
preferential treatment to Hispanic employees, according to the
lawsuit. 
    Los Angeles-based Sweetgreen in a statement said the company
is committed to diversity and a safe and inclusive workplace.
    "We take these accusations seriously and do not tolerate any
form of harassment, discrimination, or unsafe working
conditions," the company said. 
    The 10 plaintiffs claim that Sweetgreen managers and the
company's human resources department ignored complaints about
the alleged conduct for years. All of the plaintiffs are Black
and eight are female. 
    The lawsuit was originally filed in March by two Sweetgreen
employees. 
    The plaintiffs accused Sweetgreen and two individual
managers of race and sex discrimination in violation of New York
City law. Under the city law, employers can be held liable for
unlawful conduct by managers. 
    The workers are seeking damages for economic losses and
emotional distress, and punitive damages for what they said was
Sweetgreen's "malice or reckless indifference to plaintiffs'
rights." 

 (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by
Alexia Garamfalvi and Lisa Shumaker)
 ((daniel.wiessner@thomsonreuters.com))