PHILADELPHIA — A former team leader at Saxbys Coffee is suing the company for allegations of gender discrimination and wrongful termination.
Paige McKenzie filed a lawsuit on March 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Saxbys Coffee LLC, Eric Wagner, and Jeff Carr, citing gender discrimination and violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
According to her complaint, McKenzie was employed by Saxbys Coffee from December 2014 through April 24, 2015, working as a team leader. The plaintiff claims that a customer who had previously sexually harassed her applied for a position at her place of work. She allegedly complained to her manager about the behavior and asked him not to hire the applicant.
Despite her complaints, the manager reportedly interviewed the applicant and requested that McKenzie prepare a written statement insofar as the customer was entering the hiring process. The plaintiff avers she was asked to attend a meeting at the defendant’s corporate headquarters on April 24, 2015, where she was constructively discharged and provided with a severance agreement, which she refused to sign.
McKenzie seeks an order enjoining the defendant from further discrimination and retaliation, compensation for all lost wages and benefits, actual damages, punitive damages, costs, expenses, and a trial by jury. She is represented by W. Charles Sipio of Kolman Ely PC, in Penndel, PA.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:16-cv-01391-LDD