EEOC sues Ryan's over civil rights claims (display of noose)

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1135073845192420.xml&coll=2

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Ryan's Family Steakhouse Inc., claiming a black employee at its Jasper restaurant was the victim of a racially hostile work environment when a manager displayed nooses.

The discrimination and retaliation federal lawsuit alleges the company violated Matthew T. Rainey's civil rights. Rainey was hired September 2002 as a display team leader. The federal agency contends in the suit the nooses were displayed after the manager, also Rainey's supervisor, learned Rainey dated a white female co-worker.

The manager, according to the lawsuit, put the noose in several places throughout the restaurant in October 2003 after telling several other workers he did not like interracial dating.

< snip >

The suit said Rainey complained to the manager that the noose offended him, but was told, "Keep giving me attitude, I'll use it on you." Rainey also complained to an area supervisor, but no action was taken, according to the suit.

The Sight of a NOOSE tends to disturb MOST BLACK MEN





A mob of 10,000 whites took sledgehammers to the county jailhouse doors to get at these two young blacks accused of raping a white girl; the girl’s uncle saved the life of a third by proclaiming the man’s innocence. Although this was Marion, Ind., most of the nearly 5,000 lynchings documented between Reconstruction and the late 1960s were perpetrated in the South. (Hangings, beatings and mutilations were called the sentence of “Judge Lynch.”) Some lynching photos were made into postcards designed to boost white supremacy, but the tortured bodies and grotesquely happy crowds ended up revolting as many as they scared.

someone needs to be severely sued, reprimanded and relieved of employment.

good ol republican (I presume) values at work again.

Some of dem dere fambly values in action.

Hardly.

You know, there have been stories about large amounts of psychiatric drugs turning up in our water supplies. I suggest that in some states, the amounts just ain't large enough.

About their corporate culture that this manager thought he could get away with this.

That some people are stuck in the nineteenth century and refuse to acknowledge THE LAW.

EDWARDS, MARK MR
RICHMOND,IN 47374
RYANS FAMILY STEAKHOUSE/OWNER
11/28/2003
$300
National Republican Congressional Cmte

MCCRIGHT, MICHAEL
CHESTERFIELD,SC 29709
RYANS FAMILY STEAKHOUSE
6/4/2004
$500
Beasley, David M (R-SC)

WAY, CHARLES
GREER,SC 29650
RYANS FAMILY STEAKHOUSE
3/21/2002
$1,000
Graham, Lindsey (R-SC)

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=Ryan%27s+Family&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N



Whoever this Ryan is, he sure must like beef. Ryan's Restaurant Group owns about 300 Ryan's restaurants primarily in the Midwest and Southeastern US as well as nearly 50 Fire Mountain locations. Its family-oriented eateries offer a variety of steaks, as well as chicken, seafood, and burgers. The chain is known for its Mega Bar buffet, which features salad items, soups, cheeses, hot meats, vegetables, hot rolls, and fresh-baked cookies and other desserts, all served from self-service islands scattered throughout the dining area. The company is ending the relationship with its sole franchisee, Family Steak Houses of Florida, which operates fewer than 10 locations in the Sunshine State.

Chairman and CEO Charles D. Way
President, COO, and Director G. Edwin McCranie
SVP Finance, Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary Fred T. Grant Jr.


http://www.hoovers.com/ryan's/--ID__14624--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml