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Dallas BBQ Sued For Alleged Ethnic Discrimination, Sexual Harassment

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Flickr user cmorran123

While we've long harbored a not-so-secret love of Dallas BBQ's oversized margaritas and onion loafs (don't judge!), a new doozy of a lawsuit from an employee makes us question ever patronizing this once-fine institution ever again.

Ivan Ruiz, a server at the chain's Third Avenue location, is suing over alleged ethnic discrimination and sexual harassment at the hands of several of his higher-ups in the restaurant. The whole complaint, first reported by Grub Street, is available below, but here are the highlights: Ruiz claims his supervisors referred to him as a "stupid Puerto Rican," "faggot," and "asshole," that general manager Afzal Rahman (who is of Bengali descent) gave the most lucrative shifts to other Bengali employees, that Rahman also referred to African American customers are "dirty and cheap" and Hispanic customers as "uneducated and just have babies and we have to pay for them," that manager Bill Harris gave unwanted rubdowns to Ruiz's shoulders and stomach and made comments like "Oh, the things I would do to you." It's enough to make you choke on that technicolor daiquiri you've been sucking down like water.

Ruiz is asking for $500,000 to cover his back and front pay and benefits, plus another $500,000 in damages to compensate for the "pain and suffering, anxiety, humiliation, physical injury and emotional distress" he was subject to. Rahman has since been transferred to another location, but both managers are still employed. The chain isn't talking right now, but whether or not the suit stands in court, maybe it's time to reconsider the margarita. (Oh, who are we kidding?)

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Comments [rss]

  • thundarthelibrarian

    I am a BBQ-American.

  • aspiringrapper

    How long would someone have to work at a Dallas BBQ to earn $500k?

  • BlackHeywood

    100 lifetimes plus a few more for good measure.

  • What exactly did Rahman say that was inaccurate....?

  • AuntySemantic

    And the plural of loaf is loaves, not loafs.

  • Peanut_Butter

    Onion Loaf is a proper noun.  Its plural is Onion Loafs.  Author should have capitalized it, though.

  • AuntySemantic

    Even if it is a trademark of Dallas BBQ there is no reason why its would not be the standard plural of the word loaf.

  • Peanut_Butter

    I tried searching for support.  Here's the closest I could come.   If you refer for example to a family named Hardy, you would say "The Hardys are coming over for dinner" and not "The Hardies".

  • AuntySemantic

    Sorry, but the plural of loaf is still loaves.

  • DoctorMemory

    Once-fine?  I take this to imply that there was ever a time when Dallas BBQ wasn't disgusting swill?

    Citation, please.

  • Peanut_Butter

    Their Texas Fried Wings used to be awesome, but just like KFC, I fear, they now skimp on the spices, and I find more grease than flavor.  But the beef ribs are still pretty good.

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