Kid Rock's Made in Detroit restaurant sued over alleged racial discrimination
A black former employee of Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit restaurant is suing over alleged racial discrimination after she says she was fired the first time she wore her hair in an afro.
A federal lawsuit filed in Detroit last week by Carinne Silverman-Maddox alleged she was “abruptly suspended and dismissed for allegedly over-pouring a single drink” in October.
However, she claims her white coworkers also over-poured drinks in the “exact same manner” and broke other rules, but only she was fired.
The suit also notes that on the day that she was sent home, SilvermanMaddox wore her hair in an afro “instead of straightening it or putting it up like her Caucasian coworkers”, and she “immediately noticed strange looks from the management”.
The suit states that Made in Detroit management suspended SilvermanMaddox – who had a spotless employee file – on 13 October, but she remained off the schedule until she was officially fired in December when she took legal action.
“[Silverman-Maddox] was astonished by the discipline as she was pouring drinks in the manner she was specifically trained to do, and every bartender frequently free poured drinks,” civil rights attorney Jack Schulz wrote in the complaint.
Schulz told the Guardian it was clear Silverman-Maddox was treated differently than her white co-workers.
“At a surface level – even if you accept that she over-poured a drink
– the crime is how she was treated and how white people were treated for doing the same thing,” he said. “The crime, to me, is unequal treatment.”
Kid Rock, based out of suburban Detroit, became a star in the late 90s with music that fuses rap, southern rock and country. He opened Made in Detroit, which serves new American bar fare, in Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena in 2017.
The rocker, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, is familiar with controversy – he regularly incorporated Confederate flags into his act until 2011. The flag is considered a symbol of racism and slavery. He is a Trump fan who visited the White House in 2017, and his six-night concert series that opened Little Caesars Arena drew protests.
Kid Rock is not named in the lawsuit. Instead, his company, Top Dog Records, is listed as a defendant along with Delaware North Companies, which manages Little Caesars Arena’s food service.
Schulz said the defendants claim Delaware North pays a licensing fee to use Rock’s name, and Rock has no involvement. Schulz said: “The business bears his name, so he does have some responsibility to make sure this stuff doesn’t occur.”
A Made in Detroit manager forwarded a request for comment to Delaware North. In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Delaware North is the sole operator of Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit restaurant. Kid Rock has no part of the day-to-day operations, including decisions regarding employees. We are aware of the complaint and will address this matter in a court of law.”
Kid Rock has commented on the suit. In a 1 February tweet he criticized the Detroit Free Press, which first reported the story: “Re: Detroit Free Press…. More bad journalism. Another attempt to get cheap clicks and views. Only minor investigating instead of immediate reporting would reveal the correct facts.”
Fans have also defended Kid Rock, noting that the Detroit NAACP gave him the great achievements award in 2011.
A court date has not yet been scheduled.
Kid Rock’s name is attached to several food and beverage businesses, including Kid Rock’s Badass American Lager brand, and a new Nashville restaurant, Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock n’ Roll Steakhouse. The restaurant made the news last month when it proposed a 20ft, butt-shaped neon sign, which the Nashville metropolitan council reluctantly approved.
The suit is the latest in a series of racial discrimination accusations leveled against small Michigan businesses. A black former employee is suing Grand Rapids’ Founders Brewing Co over alleged discrimination, Mighty Good Coffee recently settled with a former employee who claimed the company discriminated against her and a former employee of the Foundation Hotel recently filed a discrimination suit.