Nearly a dozen Sweetgreen employees are accusing the salad chain of racial discrimination across seven of its New York City locations.
On Thursday (September 14), a lawsuit was filed on behalf of the employees alleging that their Sweetgreen co-workers subjected them to daily use of the N-word and racist comments, per CNBC.
According to the suit, managers also declined to hire and promote qualified Black employees, giving preferential treatment to Hispanic workers. Store managers allegedly called Black employees lazy and said Hispanic people work harder than them.
Plaintiffs in the suit said their complaints were ignored by upper management for years.
“At Sweetgreen, we are committed to diversity as well as a safe and inclusive workplace. We take these accusations seriously and do not tolerate any form of harassment, discrimination, or unsafe working conditions,” a Sweetgreen spokesperson said in a statement.
Two Sweetgreen “head coaches,” or general managers, are also named as defendants in the suit. The plaintiffs are seeking monetary and punitive damages.
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