Sweet Sweet Wakiya. The troubles never end, do they? According to the Sun, the former shitshow is the latest restaurant to sit on the receiving end of a major discrimination lawsuit. A former hostess is suing Ian Schrager's fancy Chinese joint to the tune of $5 million, because she was allegedly fired for speaking Spanish. According to the employee, Natividad Alcantara, it all began when she was assaulted by a fellow employee:
According to the suit, Ms. Alcantara said in Spanish to the co-worker, "Please stop, I did not want to have any problems with you," but was laughed at in return. A supervisor, Steven Lam, allegedly approached Ms. Alcantara a few moments later to tell her not to speak in Spanish, as the co-worker who had assaulted her had complained...supervisor Jackie Chang fired Ms. Alcantara, because she had "started problems by speaking in Spanish," the complaint says.If restaurants in the city start firing workers for speaking Spanish, we're all in trouble. We're betting there's more to this story, and if it's like the other recent discrimination suits (Tavern on the Green, Old Homestead) and doesn't get thrown out, we'll be hearing about the settlement a year or two down the road.
· $5 Million Suit Filed Against Restaurant in Gramercy Park Hotel [NYS]
· Lawsuits: Tavern on the Green [~E~]