The plaintiffs—nine African Americans and one Latino—claim that, among other things, 15 African-American employees at a Virginia McDonald’s were fired on the same day after several white employees were hired. The plaintiffs further claim that, when they asked why they were losing their jobs, they were told that they “didn’t fit the profile.”
The McDonald’s corporation has for years been able to avoid responsibility for what took place in its individual restaurants because it is operated as a franchise system. This suit could add to increasing pressure to make the corporation liable for what happens at franchise locations, experts say.