BIAS A ‘RED’ FLAG SUIT
A BLACK BARTENDER at Ethiopia-born chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Harlem restaurant is suing the Red Rooster for alleged racial discrimination, claiming he was abruptly fired after taking time off to care for his sick mom.
Campus Johnson, 43, who lives in Astoria, alleges in a Manhattan Federal Court lawsuit that he was the only black male bartender at the famed eatery on Lenox Ave. and W. 126th St., and was fired for a “patent absurdity” — that he didn’t pour drinks right.
“Defendant Marcus Samuelsson stated in an interview recently that ‘As a black person, it’s clear that the grid is not made for us,” the suit states.
“Unfortunately, this very problem also holds true in Mr. Samuelsson’s own restaurant, where — despite being in the heart of Harlem — there is a plain aversion to black male bartenders.”
For most of Johnson’s time behind the bar, he was the only African-American male bartender — and while there were AfricanAmerican female bartenders, they “were in the clear minority,” according to the suit, filed by lawyer Maimon Kirschenbaum.
“Given Red Rooster’s location in Harlem, a largely African-American community, and its owner Marcus Samuelsson’s outspokenness on the challenges that African-Americans face in the restaurant industry, the lack of African-American bartenders at Red Rooster was conspicuous,” the suit claims. “In fact, customers mentioned this to (Johnson) several times.”
The alleged discrimination escalated several weeks ago when Johnson asked for two months months off to take care of his mother, who has leukemia, the suit claims.
The request was approved, but the Red Rooster abruptly fired him March 8, “falsely” claiming he used the wrong drink-pouring technique, the suit charges.
Because of the timing of the firing, as well as “his status as the only male black bartender, and the patent absurdity of the stated reason for his termination, it is clear Plaintiff was terminated on the basis of his race and his protected request to care for his sick mother,” court papers state.
Campus also claims Red Rooster didn’t pay him for all the hours he worked.
The lawsuit seeks class action status.
In a statement to the Daily News, Samuelsson’s restaurant group called the lawsuit “frivolous.”
“This lawsuit is wholly without merit,” said Carolyn Richmond, a representative for Marcus Samuelsson Group. “The employee was provided every opportunity to succeed. But, after multiple documented counselings and then warnings, was ultimately terminated.”
“The claims of discrimination are baseless and quite frankly, ridiculous. Marcus Samuelsson Group is minority owned and operated and the majority of staff is African-American men and women.”