Hooters Guilty Of Boob Of Different Kind: Sued For Racist Slur On Asian Couple

Hooters, the restaurant chain is a place that is frequented more by the males than females, who find its skimpily clad waitresses as, if not more, appetizing than the food. It is known more for its high-spirited and slightly provocative attitude, so it is all the more surprising that it could find itself embroiled in a racial discrimination controversy.

A Korean-American has taken the eatery to court, alleging that he had been the victim of a racial slur.

Kisuk Cha, 25 the plaintiff has alleged that he, along with his girlfriend, Dayoung Choi, 27, both immigrants from Korea, went to Hooters restaurant in Fresh Meadows and placed an order for buffalo shrimp and chicken wings, to take home.
They said that after they placed their order, the saw the server and another employee ogling at them, sniggering all the while.

They further allege that when the server handed them their receipt, they found that in the space where the customer’s name should be, the cashier had typed “chinx.”

The lawsuit says that “He wanted to confront his server but was paralyzed with anguish. He could not eat the food he had just bought as his stomach was churning, and he could not be sure that someone had not spit in his food. This shocking discrimination aimed at Mr. Cha and his companion is not acceptable in any place of public accommodation, and a civilized society cannot tolerate such behavior.”

Cha later acknowledged in an interview, that he and his girlfriend felt so shocked and outraged that he, lost his appetite, threw the food away upon reaching home.

In the lawsuit, filed Monday afternoon in federal court in Brooklyn, Cha’s lawyer, Daniel D. Baek, further clarified, that the experience has left his client mentally shattered and he now believes that he is not welcome not only at Hooters but at any non-Korean establishment. The derisive giggling and stares of his persecutors continues to haunt him.

The lawsuits has named the Hooters parent company and the owners of the Hooters franchise in Fresh Meadows, as also the two employees, one of whose name is as shown on the receipt as “220 Shenika,” the employee is unnamed. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for violations to Mr. Cha’s “federal, state and common law rights.”

Nicole Conboy, director of human resources for the holding company that owns the Fresh Meadows restaurant said that upon being made aware of the incident and internal investigation was ordered immediately. A 17-year old hostess confessed to committing the act, following which she apologized and handed in her resignation. Ms. Conboy emphasized that such incidents are things they take very seriously.

The company’s lawyer, Edward G. McCabe said this was a one-off incident and unprecedented in the restaurants history. He wrote a letter to Mr. Baek, saying that the employee’s behavior was “egregious” and “deplorable,” whilst adding that “It does not reflect the manner in which the restaurant is operated.”

Mr. Cha who is based in Philadelphia said that this is hardly consolation for the trauma he has been through.  “Recently I got my U.S. citizenship,” he said, “and I realized, like, this isn’t something I expected when I became a U.S. citizen.