EEOC brings gender discriminatory case against Ruby Tuesday

A well known restaurant chain, Ruby Tuesday is facing charges of gender discrimination at its workplace.  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint has been brought on behalf of two male employees of Ruby Tuesday, Andrew Herrera and Joshua Bell.

Both the employees claim that they were denied an opportunity to work on a temporary assignment due to their gender. As per the complaint, in 2013, the restaurant was seeking to fill seasonal bartender and server positions at its Park City, Utah, location. The position explicitly provided preference for female applicants. Further, the restaurant went ahead to hire seven females and no men for the summer job.

The complaint provides that due to the discriminatory practice, Herrera and Bell were denied the chance to earn more money and gain valuable work experience while on the temporary assignment in Park City. They would have also saved on rent and other expenses under such employment because Ruby Tuesday would have provided for free housing as well.

As per the press release by the EEOC, the lawsuit has been filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from giving more advantageous employment conditions to a group of individuals based on gender.

The discrimination lawsuit filed in the United States District Court in Oregon seeks an unspecified amount in financial damages and back pay for Herrera, Bell and other men who might have been affected.