Chick-fil-A franchisee faces religious discrimination claims

A federal agency has sued a Texas Chick-fil-A franchise, accusing the fast food chain of religiously discriminating against an employee. Hatch Trick Inc., which owns Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Austin, Texas area, allegedly denied an employee's request to take Saturdays off work for religious reasons. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday said it filed a lawsuit against Hatch Trick. The commission accused the franchisee of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees’ religions.

Chick-fil-A told KVUE Ch. 24 that the responsibility of employment decisions belongs solely to individual restaurant owners. The chain has a well-known tradition of closing on Sundays. As of Monday morning, Hatch Trick Inc. had not responded to KVUE and other media outlets, including the BBC, that had sought comment on the lawsuit.

Why did the employee ask off on Saturdays? The employee was a member of a religious group called the United Church of God, which observes the Sabbath on Saturdays, according to the EEOC. The employee disclosed this during her interview, and management initially agreed to the accommodation, according to the lawsuit. However, after five months, management told the employee that she needed to start working on Saturdays, the EEOC said. When the employee again requested religious accommodation, management said she could skip Saturdays if she accepted a demotion, according to the lawsuit. The employee declined and was fired in February 2024, the EEOC said.

The employee’s religious group, which does not believe in the Trinity, has congregations in many countries, according to its website.

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