A Chick-fil-A operator speaks with an employee in an office, legal documents visible.
A federal lawsuit has been filed against Hatch Trick, Inc., a Chick-fil-A franchisee operating in the Austin, Texas area, alleging discriminatory firing practices. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the complaint on behalf of Laurel Torode, a former employee who claims she was terminated for refusing to work on Saturdays due to her religious beliefs.
Torode, a member of the United Church of God, reportedly informed the company during her interview that her faith requires observance of the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Initially, the franchise accommodated this request while she served as a manager overseeing delivery drivers at one of its locations.
However, the situation reportedly changed in early February 2024 when the company allegedly informed Torode that she would be required to work on Saturdays, including during her Sabbath observance period. According to the EEOC’s complaint, Torode attempted to negotiate accommodations to continue her management role while adhering to her religious practices.
Instead, the lawsuit states that she was offered a demotion to a delivery driver position, which came with reduced pay, fewer hours, and diminished benefits. When Torode declined this offer, Hatch Trick Inc. terminated her employment. The EEOC contends that this action violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which mandates that employers provide reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious beliefs unless it poses an undue hardship.
“The duty under federal law to provide reasonable accommodation of religion reflects an acknowledgment by our society of the importance of faith in workers’ everyday lives and an abiding respect for those who observe religious practices as an expression of that faith,” stated Ronald L. Phillips, acting EEOC Dallas Regional Attorney. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Austin after attempts to resolve the dispute through the EEOC were unsuccessful.
The case has drawn attention, partly due to Chick-fil-A’s well-known policy of closing on Sundays, a practice established by founder S. Truett Cathy to allow employees time for rest, family, and worship. Chick-fil-A has stated that employment decisions are the responsibility of individual franchise owners, while Hatch Trick Inc. and the EEOC have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
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