A seasoned employee is alleging age discrimination against a well-known restaurant chain. On September 13, 2024, Sabrina Carcich filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Panera Bread and JAB Holding Company d/b/a Panera Bread.
Sabrina Carcich, a 54-year-old woman, claims she was unfairly demoted and eventually terminated from her position at Panera Bread due to her age. Carcich began working for Panera in February 2007 as an assistant manager and was later promoted to operating partner at the Allentown, Pennsylvania location. However, her troubles began when Courtney Dickman, a district manager in her thirties, took over supervision in November 2022. Despite the Allentown location being profitable, Dickman placed Carcich on a 90-day improvement plan in March 2023 to "improve numbers." According to Carcich, Dickman failed to provide consistent mentoring during this period and subsequently demoted her without explanation in June 2023.
Carcich alleges that Dickman showed favoritism towards younger employees while pushing out older staff members. She points out that another general manager around the same age was also fired and replaced by an 18-year-old. When Carcich complained to human resources about what she perceived as discriminatory treatment, she was temporarily reinstated but placed on another performance improvement plan. Despite assurances from HR that meeting most of the plan's items would secure her position, Carcich was terminated on July 27, 2023.
The plaintiff asserts that these actions constitute violations of both the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA). She claims significant damages including economic loss, emotional distress, and diminished earning capacity due to her termination. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages exceeding $150,000 for back pay, front pay, lost wages and benefits among other losses. Additionally, punitive damages are demanded along with attorney fees and court costs.
Representing Sabrina Carcich is Graham F. Baird from the Law Offices of Eric A. Shore P.C., while details regarding defense attorneys were not provided in the document. The case has been assigned Case ID: 5:24-cv-04858.