Bojangles accused of racism after Black NC worker allegedly ridiculed, denied promotions
In a complaint detailing “humiliation,” “anguish” and racist messages scribed in biscuit flour, a former Bojangles employee has accused the Carolina-born company of “unlawful employment practice” and widespread racial discrimination in its Charlotte locations.
The court documents claim racist remarks and preferential treatment of white men bleed beyond storefronts and into upper management.
Roslyn McManus, identified in the complaint as a 54-year-old African American woman hired in December 2019, saw signs of discrimination early on in her two-year stint at the restaurant chain, the documents say. Before filing in Charlotte’s U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina Saturday, she reported it twice while working there.
According to the complaint, McManus had just begun training when someone wrote “Support Trump 2020” in flour spread over a biscuit table at Bojangles’ Beavers Farm Restaurant, located off Albemarle Road near Rocky River High School. It was January or February of 2020.
She perceived it as racist “due to President Trump’s polarization, and at times perceived racial insensitivity, particularly regarding issues involving racial protests,” according to the complaint.
“Moreover, some individuals who supported President Trump in 2020 were also associated with extremist or white supremacist groups,” it says.
According to the complaint, employees were “told that it was a joke, and no one should be concerned with it.”
The Observer reached out to both McManus and her lawyer. Neither returned requests for comment as of Tuesday morning.
Bojangles’ Vice President of Communications, Stacey McCray, declined to comment on the case.
“As a matter of policy, Bojangles does not comment on pending litigation,” she wrote in an email to The Observer.
‘Only address white employees’
During the same training period, Robert Yonyetye, a senior director of field training, visited the restaurant, the complaint states. He allegedly “would only address white employees,” according to the complaint.
When McManus graduated from training in February 2020 and moved to Bojangles Plaza Restaurant on The Plaza, near its intersection with Eastway Drive, she became stuck in a five-month limbo, the complaint says.
Bojangles hired McManus with the promise of a promotion from assistant general manager to general manager as soon as a position became available, according to the complaint. Several general manager positions became vacant, only to be filled with white individuals, according to the complaint.
Alleged racially derogatory acts and comments
A July 2020 promotion as general manager of the Lawyers Road Bojangles location was a ticket out of limbo, according to court documents, and into a worse situation laden with regular racist remarks.
There, Katie Murry, the area director who is white, “committed racially derogatory acts and made several racially derogatory comments towards African American employees.”
According to the complaint, Murry allegedly:
Told McManus other employees were “a better fit” for another management role. When McManus asked what she meant, she said “just look at you.”
Made monkey noises and gestures around an African American employee.
Did not enroll several African American employees who requested the training needed to be promoted but hired a white man and immediately enrolled him in the class so he could become an assistant general manager.
Blocked McManus’ ability to see her employees’ pay rates. During an argument with another employee, the newly hired assistant general manager revealed his pay was higher than McManus’ general manager’s pay.
Referred to African American managers — but never white ones — as “dumb.”
Made “several derogatory comments” about “disgusting” overweight African American employees — but never white ones. She said one employee looked like a “big pumpkin,” claimed another had ankles that “(were) crying,” and said one “needed to get a gym membership.”
Fired after filing a complaint with HR?
In May 2021, following a five-month stint of working an average of 80 hours a week with no overtime pay beyond 50 hours, McManus tried to resign by sending a letter to Zachary Caines, the new area director, according to the complaint.
He promised to get her help if she did not resign, and McManus’ resignation was never filed, court documents say.
In early July 2021, she reported the racist and discriminatory behavior she witnessed over two years to Bojangles’ Human Resources Department. Later that afternoon, her email was shared with Caines.
According to the complaint, Caines and another manager read the copy in the restaurant and laughed.
That same day, an email notified her all her upcoming shifts, which extended through the month, had been deleted.
She was effectively fired, according to the complaint, and Caines was responsible.
McManus has requested a jury trial for Bojangles’ violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to court documents.
In July, the company settled a sexual harassment and retaliation case for $20,000, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Bojangles saying a Greensboro store employee was sexually harassed by her general manager, then transferred and denied promotions in retaliation for complaining about the harassment.
