Black Employees at Little Caesars FaceD Racial Slurs

By Rob Redding

Editor & Publisher

NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2025, 11 a.m. — Black workers at a Little Caesars in Mount Vernon, Washington, have come forward with shocking allegations of racial abuse, prompting the EEOC to file a federal lawsuit against the franchise owner.

According to court documents, three Black employees endured relentless harassment, including being called “monkey”, “slaves,” “darky,” and other racial slurs by their supervisors. The lawsuit claims the hostile environment was orchestrated by a shift lead, identified only as “J.G.,” and a crew member “A.G.” Both non-Black employees reportedly taunted their Black colleagues with offensive language and assigned them menial tasks like cleaning dishes all day.

What’s worse? The franchise’s White general manager allegedly knew about the abuse but failed to take meaningful action. Despite J.G. using the N-word loudly enough for customers to hear, he was only given a written warning. Other complaints from employees about J.G. and A.G. were ignored, and A.G. was even promoted to shift lead — a move that further fueled tensions.

The breaking point came in September 2024, when Black employee Brethny Espinosa finally reported the racist comments to the regional manager. J.G. was fired, but the racial abuse didn’t stop. A coworker, frustrated with A.G.’s continued hostility, left a note reading “[A.G.] hates Black people” in a private area of the restaurant. That employee was promptly fired for “using inappropriate language,” sparking accusations of racial bias.

The EEOC’s Elizabeth Cannon condemned the franchise’s inaction, saying, “Failure to investigate or stop racially offensive conduct is appalling and unlawful.”

Target Market Enterprises, which owns nine Little Caesars locations, has yet to respond publicly. They face a legal battle that could cost them millions if found guilty of fostering a racially hostile workplace.

Rob Redding is the author of Black Power in the Age of Artificial Supremacy Featuring Redding-Shim Kwet Yung out on Amazon.com now. He is the bestselling author of 17 books. He is the host of Redding News Review Unrestricted and creator of ReddingNewsReview.com. He is also an emerging visual artist who lives and teaches at two colleges in New York City.