Restaurant Workers Group Drops Discrimination Charges Against Darden

Racial discrimination claims against Darden Restaurants Inc. and its Capital Grille steakhouse chain have been dropped by a group representing restaurant workers, a spokesman for the Orlando, Fla.-based casual-dining company said Wednesday.

Rich Jeffers, Darden's director of media relations and external communications, said the discrimination allegations in a lawsuit filed in January by Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United were dropped but claims of wage improprieties remained. He had said earlier that the company intended to continue defending against the claims.

EARLIER: Restaurant workers group sues Darden Restaurants

ROC originally said it was focusing its complaints against The Capital Grille units in Chicago, New York City and the Washington, D.C., area. Darden is also parent to the Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse chains.

In the initial federal class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division in Chicago, ROC United had alleged "violations of the Civil Rights Act that are reflective of a corporate-wide policy of racial discrimination and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws for wage theft against all workers."

ROC had cited figures that Darden restaurant workers are paid as little as $2.13 per hour for tipped employees and $7.25 per hour for non-tipped employees, with no paid sick days.

Attorneys for the workers-rights group told the Orlando Sentinel that the claims will be filed on a state-by-state basis.

Contact Ron Ruggless at ronald.ruggless@penton.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless