Applebee’s Employee Earns $100K in Discrimination Lawsuit

Jebriel Teague, a gay, Black man and former Applebee’s employee, filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) after he was subject to harassment and discrimination because of his race and sexual orientation. 

Teague’s mistreatment began when he was hired at an Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill restaurant in Plant City, Florida as a line cook, in March 2019. 

On a consistent basis, Teague endured both homophobic and racist remarks by colleagues Bobby Hogge and Cody Curby. He notes hearing the n-word said openly and nonchalantly throughout the duration of his employment. “Fag,” “faggot,” and “bitch,” were also heard frequently, along with comments about dildos.

When Jebriel Teague informed his supervisors about his co-workers’ unacceptable and illegal behavior, and that it was cultivating a hostile work environment, his supervisors dismissed him, telling him that the men were just joking and that he should ignore it. 

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, and sexual orientation, including the prohibition of racial or homophobic slurs and offensive or derogatory remarks about a person’s race, color, or sexual orientation.

“Over one year ago, the Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County Georgia, that the protections of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 apply to individuals who are discriminated in the workplace based on their sexual orientation,” says EEOC Regional Attorney Robert E. Weisberg. “While the EEOC recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Bostock decision, this case demonstrates that the work is not over. The EEOC will aggressively investigate, and if necessary, prosecute employers that violate the rights of their LGBTQ employees.”

The harassment continued and, as Teague continued to complain about the persistent mistreatment, he was subjected to his supervisor cutting his hours. From June 3 to June 19, he only worked four shifts; prior to coming forward about the discrimination he faced, he was working five to six shifts per week. Applebee’s Store Manager Dustin Johnson said he would investigate the harassment; however, no notes on the investigation have been found to exist.

Intolerable working conditions led Teague to be constructively discharged in June 2019. He then filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, (EEOC), which sued the owners of the Applebee’s franchise, Neighborhood Restaurant Partners Florida, LLC, on Teague’s behalf.

“The three-year consent decree resolving the EEOC’s lawsuit, approved by the federal court, requires NRP to pay $100,000 in monetary relief. The company will also provide specialized training on sexual orientation and race discrimination to human resources officers and managers to ensure they are aware of their obligations to prevent workplace discrimination and how to address complaints,” the EEOC says. 

“The decree also requires NRP to appoint an internal consent decree monitor to review complaints of sexual orientation and race-based harassment and provide EEOC with reports of harassment complaints which also describe its actions taken in response to the complaint.” 

When it comes to workplace discrimination, Teague is not alone. According to a Linkedin survey, more than 33% of LGBTQ workers believe their company has made them feel unsupported and unheard amidst ongoing news around anti-LGBTQ legislation. No one wants to work for a company that makes them feel invalidated, unseen, or outright discriminated against. 

To achieve an accepting and socially healthy workplace, you need to be inclusive of everyone.