DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — A Buffalo Wild Wings location in metro Atlanta will have to pay a woman $47,500 in a religious discrimination lawsuit settlement. The woman said she couldn’t get hired because she only wears long skirts in public.
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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit on behalf of the applicant in 2024. In November 2022, the woman’s daughter worked at the sports bar and invited her to a “Friendsgiving” event for employees, where she introduced her to the general manager.
The woman said she would like to apply for a job and she had prior serving experience. The woman said the general manager confirmed the restaurant was hiring and that she should apply.
Toward the end of their conversation, the woman mentioned she wears long skirts because of her religious beliefs. The lawsuit claims the general manager asked if she was Pentecostal, then “exclaimed ‘Na,na,na!’ in a mocking tone.”
The woman went to apply the next day. A week later, her daughter found out she wouldn’t get the job because of her religious beliefs. The daughter said an assistant manager asked “What sports bar have you seen that had servers wearing skirts?”
The lawsuit said five others were hired for server positions over the next month.
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After a year-long battle in court, a judge ruled in favor of the EEOC and the woman’s complaint.
According to the EEOC, Buffalo Wild Wings will not only pay $47,500 in the settlement. but the sports bar must also provide specialized training for managers, supervisors and HR employees.
A notice must also inform employees about the settlement and their employee rights. The EEOC says it will require Buffalo Wild Wings to submit reports for religious accommodations.
“Job applicants have the right to pursue employment without fear of compromising their religious practices, so long as those practices do not cause an undue hardship on prospective employers. The EEOC remains committed to protecting and enforcing that right,” said Darrell Graham, district director of the EEOC Atlanta District Office.
Channel 2 Action News has reached out to Buffalo Wild Wings for a statement.
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