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A Wendy's restaurant in Kalamazoo is being sued by a Black woman who says she was frequently subjected to racist behavior.
A Black woman is suing a Wendy’s restaurant in Kalamazoo and two of her former co-workers, alleging she was repeatedly subjected to racism while working at the fast food chain in the summer of 2021.
The lawsuit, filed in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court on Monday, says Sophia Cargill was alienated and targeted by predominantly white co-workers, who frequently ignored her, used racial slurs, and talked about lynching African Americans.
One of her white co-workers called her the N-word, and another said he “didn’t know they made (N-word) angels,” according to the lawsuit.
At the time, Cargill was a manager in training.
“This is heinous Jim Crow era-type discrimination, right here in Kalamazoo, Michigan,” Cargill’s attorney Jon Marko said in a statement. “Mrs. Cargill complained to Wendy’s supervisors on multiple occasions and nothing was done. Wendy’s still has not admitted that what happened to Ms. Cargill was racially inappropriate or even said they are sorry. I don’t see how any self-respecting person could patronize Wendy’s again.”
The lawsuit alleges Wendy’s and her former co-workers violated the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.
In a separate incident, Cargill’s supervisor called her a “bitch” and “fucking laze.” A video of the encounter was posted on TikTok and went viral. The superior was fired.
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