SCRANTON — An African American worker claims she and others faced racial discrimination and retaliation while working at Outback Steakhouse.
Nailah Riley filed a complaint May 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against Bloomin' Brands Inc., doing business as Outback Steakhouse, alleging race discrimination and retaliation.
Riley, an African American woman, began working as a server for Outback on Oct. 24, 2018, according to her suit. She alleges that during her employment at Outback, she witnessed that she and her African American coworkers were "disproportionately disciplined."
Riley specifically alleges in her complaint that a white employee, Summer Martin, would often "engage in loud outbursts while at work" but "never lost her job" as the African American employees lost their jobs for similar behavior. Riley further alleges that on Nov. 2, 2019, Martin began yelling at her and slammed boxes on the counter as she approached her and that Martin had to be escorted out.
She claims that after returning from medical leave and vacation, she was terminated on Dec. 2, 2019, for the incident, which Martin had instigated while Martin, despite instigating the Nov. 2 incident and her history of outbursts, was not terminated. Riley received a right to sue from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on March 19, 2020.
Riley seeks monetary relief, trial by jury and all other just relief. She is represented by Larry Weisberg, Derrek Cummings and Stephen Mahan, Jr., in Harrisburg.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania case number 1:21-CV-00914-YK.