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A fancy New York City restaurant group is under fire in a new lawsuit for allegedly allowing racial discrimination against Black employees.
The Daily Beast reports that the Dinex Group is being sued by a former Black employee claiming he was fired after speaking out against managers who racially discriminated against wait staff. The lawsuit states the restaurant, owned by French chef Daniel Boulud, violated state labor laws by allowing blatant racism in the workplace.
Working as a host at Le Pavillon in Manhattan’s high-end East Side, the employee recalled an incident from Aug. 19 when a customer refused to have him take them to their table, according to the lawsuit. When he told the lead host what happened, he was told Le Pavillon tends to have a common practice of catering to patrons’ needs, including racist tactics of not wanting to be served by Black wait staff.
He later explained the situation to a manager on Aug. 25. According to the lawsuit, the workplace environment became tense for him. Shifts were scheduled for days he wasn’t available to work, he wasn’t allowed to take breaks during his shifts, and staff became overly critical of his work. He was fired on Sept. 9 after the restaurant claimed he lost some keys, but the suit says he was not responsible for the keys on the day the keys went missing.
Due to his firing, the former employee says he has suffered financially and mentally. He is suing for lost wages and benefits, legal fees, punitive damages, and looking for The Dinex Group to receive a civil penalty. Ironically, Le Pavillon won ENR New York Magazine’s Regional Best Project for Best Residential/Hospitality in 2022.
The Dinex Group’s CEO Sebastien Silvestri says the allegations against the restaurant aren’t true. “We look forward to defending our reputation,” he said.
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Naomi Osaka is not here for performative concern about how her tennis career may change after the birth of her first child—due in June or July—with rapper Cordae.
The 25-year-old four-time Grand Slam singles champion took to Twitter to urge people to put some respect on her name and check their internalized sexism at the door.
“Btw to the people that are suddenly concerned about my career- There are plenty of male athletes with kids that are significantly less accomplished, you might wanna worry about them instead,” Osaka wrote. “Thanks for the concern, might wanna redirect it to someone that needs it though.” In a thread, she added, “Not trying to make this a male and female thing but let’s be fr.”
Btw to the people that are suddenly concerned about my career- There are plenty of male athletes with kids that are significantly less accomplished, you might wanna worry about them instead. Thanks for the concern, might wanna redirect it to someone that needs it though
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— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 12, 2023
Heard you, champ!
Osaka, who announced her pregnancy in January, is no stranger to the online trolls and 24/7 commentary that come with being a global icon in sports, especially as a woman of color.
When she decided to lend her support to the racial and social justice movements of 2020, donning the names of victims of police killings on her face masks before matches, many implored her to stick to tennis. She refused.
After standing up for her mental wellness as well as her peers’ by critiquing post-match media press conferences, she was deemed both ungrateful and unprofessional. However, her actions spawned long overdue conversations about the humanity of athletes and empowered competitors outside of tennis to prioritize their own mental well-being.
The mom-to-be has always been a leader and now it seems she’s ready to silence her detractors in her newest challenge: motherhood.