Realtor sues Vancouver restaurant for $100,000 after being told he had to pre-pay for his meal 'because he was African-American'
A black realtor is suing a Vancouver restaurant for $100,000 after being told he had to pre-pay for his meal 'because he was African-American'.
Multnomah County sheriff's deputy Brian Eason went to the Elmer's restaurant in Vancouver, Washington, because it was near his real estate office, his lawyer Greg Kafoury said in an interview.
He sat down to write his Christmas cards but when he ordered his breakfast, the waitress, Hope, demanded that he pay for his meal as she took his order, according to court papers.
The waitress who asked him to prepay also apologized for what she called the restaurant's 'discriminatory' policy, Kafoury said.
Eason agreed to prepay but later returned to complain and while doing so, saw a white couple who had ordered breakfast and asked if they had been asked to prepay, Kafoury said.
'They were somewhat incredulous that anyone would ask such a question. Of course, they were not asked to pre-pay,' Kafoury said.
Mr Eason, 44, is now suing the company for $100,000 for discrimination, claiming that he has suffered and will continue to suffer 'loss of sleep and feelings of racial stigmatization.'
Mr Kafoury said: 'It's important that young black kids grow up in a world where they know that when they are discriminated against they don't have to take it.
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That was an important part of his decision to file a lawsuit.'
Elmer's, founded in 1960 in Portland, has 25 restaurants in four states, according to the company's website.
It is owned by Karson Inc, which operates it as a franchise, but neither Karson or the Elmer's branch in Portland responded when asked for comment on the case.
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'There is no Elmer's policy requiring any guest to prepay for their meal,' an Elmer's spokeswoman told a local TV station, adding that the company has taken steps to stop the practice.
It's important that young black kids grow up in a world where they know that when they are discriminated against they don't have to take it
Lawyer Greg Kafoury
Eason also filed a complaint on the basis of discrimination against Karson with the Washington Human Rights Commission, but the case was closed on October 8, reports KGW.com.
But Karson claimed he was asked to pre-pay because he was sitting in the lounge, and the restaurant had recently had problems with people leaving without paying.
The white couple who weren't asked to pay before eating had been sitting in a different area of the restaurant, they said.
The Washington Human Rights Commission ruled that there was 'no reasonable cause to conclude that discrimination took place,' according to a report from the commission.
In 1994, the Denny's restaurant chain agreed to pay more than $54 million to settle similar lawsuits filed by thousands of black customers, Kafoury said.
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A black realtor is suing a Vancouver restaurant for $100,000 after being told he had to pre-pay for his meal 'because he was African-American'.
Multnomah County sheriff's deputy Brian Eason went to the Elmer's restaurant in Vancouver, Washington, because it was near his real estate office, his lawyer Greg Kafoury said in an interview.
He sat down to write his Christmas cards but when he ordered his breakfast, the waitress, Hope, demanded that he pay for his meal as she took his order, according to court papers.
The waitress who asked him to prepay also apologized for what she called the restaurant's 'discriminatory' policy, Kafoury said.
Eason agreed to prepay but later returned to complain and while doing so, saw a white couple who had ordered breakfast and asked if they had been asked to prepay, Kafoury said.
'They were somewhat incredulous that anyone would ask such a question. Of course, they were not asked to pre-pay,' Kafoury said.
Mr Eason, 44, is now suing the company for $100,000 for discrimination, claiming that he has suffered and will continue to suffer 'loss of sleep and feelings of racial stigmatization.'
Mr Kafoury said: 'It's important that young black kids grow up in a world where they know that when they are discriminated against they don't have to take it.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-pay-meal-African-American.html#ixzz3q9cZrJWW
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That was an important part of his decision to file a lawsuit.'
Elmer's, founded in 1960 in Portland, has 25 restaurants in four states, according to the company's website.
It is owned by Karson Inc, which operates it as a franchise, but neither Karson or the Elmer's branch in Portland responded when asked for comment on the case.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-pay-meal-African-American.html#ixzz3q9cW6wdD
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
'There is no Elmer's policy requiring any guest to prepay for their meal,' an Elmer's spokeswoman told a local TV station, adding that the company has taken steps to stop the practice.
It's important that young black kids grow up in a world where they know that when they are discriminated against they don't have to take it
Lawyer Greg Kafoury
Eason also filed a complaint on the basis of discrimination against Karson with the Washington Human Rights Commission, but the case was closed on October 8, reports KGW.com.
But Karson claimed he was asked to pre-pay because he was sitting in the lounge, and the restaurant had recently had problems with people leaving without paying.
The white couple who weren't asked to pay before eating had been sitting in a different area of the restaurant, they said.
The Washington Human Rights Commission ruled that there was 'no reasonable cause to conclude that discrimination took place,' according to a report from the commission.
In 1994, the Denny's restaurant chain agreed to pay more than $54 million to settle similar lawsuits filed by thousands of black customers, Kafoury said.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-pay-meal-African-American.html#ixzz3q9cLTieT
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