Can you only hire people with certain physical characteristics to work in your establishment?
When opening a new establishment, it might be your vision that all of the staff conforms to a certain look. This perception, however can cause you a lot of trouble as a business owner. Laws prohibiting employment discrimination prevent you from making hiring and firing decisions based on the physical characteristics of a potential or current employee. That includes the person’s race. A D.C. business owner is now familiar with these rules and the consequences you can face if you do not comply.
When Nick Daldani an opened upscale sports bar called Redline in Washington D.C., it was his vision to employ only young, white, and blonde females as servers. When a black woman, Brigatti Hardin, was hired as a bartender without his knowledge, he was very unhappy. He refused to even acknowledge her in their first meeting and fired her within an hour of being aware of her employment. After the encounter, it is alleged that Daldani made it clear to his staff that he only sought to employ “young, white, "attractive” women. It also seems that Daldani envisioned Redline as a white establishment.
Hardin did not take her firing lightly. She brought a federal employment discrimination lawsuit against Daldani. She claimed that he acted “intentionally, maliciously, oppressively, and with willful, callous, wanton and reckless disregard” when he discriminated against her based on her race. A jury agreed and awarded her $687,000 in damages.
Obviously, employment discrimination is not always as blatant as it was in this case. Many times, those choosing to discriminate do so in a much more subtle manner. Therefore, the victims of discrimination may be discouraged from filing a lawsuit due to the fear that they will be unable to prove their case. It is important to remember, however, that with the right attorney, you can be compensated for employment discrimination, regardless of the circumstances. If you believe that you have been the victim of employment discrimination, you should contact an attorney right away to evaluate your case.