



Jack in the Box turns down deaf applicant, draws lawsuitBy L.M. SIXEL Copyright 2004 Houston ChronicleMay 17, 2004, 9:51PMFederal employment regulators are suing Jack in the Box for allegedly refusing to hire a deaf applicant at its restaurant in Baytown. Alfonso Cruz applied for a cook's position in February of last year but was turned down because the store manager considered his deafness to be a liability, according to the lawsuit filed in a Houston federal court Monday. The manager explained to Cruz and his mother, Estefana Cruz, who used sign language to translate, that she "did not want to set him up to fail," said Aimee McFerren, an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawyer working on the case. The store manager of the North Main store in Baytown told Cruz she could not hire him for the $5.15 an hour position because of the complexity of its food operation, McFerren said. Jack in the Box operates with an audible timer system that sounds different tones when the food is cooked or it has been sitting too long, McFerren said. But it also has display screens that count down the time remaining. Allegations of discrimination are totally unfounded, and Jack in the Box has a long-standing policy of not tolerating discrimination of any kind, said Brian Luscomb, spokesman for the San Diego-based restaurant chain, which has 1,970 U.S. locations. Luscomb said he hadn't seen the lawsuit, which alleges that Jack in the Box violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Cruz later found a job as a fry cook at a competing fast-food restaurant in Baytown and is doing well, McFerren said. He reads video screens that are in the restaurant, so he knows what to prepare. Cruz, a high school senior preparing for graduation, plans to go to a junior college in the fall to study auto mechanics. "They assumed what he could or could not do without considering his individual abilities," McFerren said. Source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/2575700.html |
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Hassan, an 18 year old male of Lebanese descent, starts work at a local supermarket. After working there for a few weeks stacking shelves he overhears the store manager telling his supervisor that "all Lebanese guys are troublemakers. I'm worried that he'll cause problems for the Aussie girls if he gets near them". After that, his supervisor tells Hassan to stay out the back of the store, where it's hot and dusty, and not talk to anyone. Hassan's supervisor and the store manager constantly watch him, and tell him off every time they catch him talking to a female member of staff. Hassan notices that none of the other male staff are treated like this when they talk to female staff members. When he asks his supervisor why he had to stay out the back while others get to stack shelves, his supervisor says that it's because he talks too much. Hassan argues with this, and points out that he didn't talk much at all when he was stacking shelves. After that, his shifts are cut.
What would you do if you were Hassan?
B. Talk to your supervisor about the reasons why your shifts have been cut
C. Ask the other guys working there if they've been treated unfairly
SOURCE: http://www.eoc.sa.gov.au/site/eo_for_schools/serious_stuff/case_studies/case_study_race_discrimination_at_work.jsp