EEOC files discrimination suit against Menomonie restaurant

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The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit this week against the Sparx Restaurant in Menomonie for firing an African-American kitchen supervisor who complained about racist images posted by co-workers.

The government said Dion Miller found a photo of the late actor Gary Coleman taped to a cooler, along with dollar bill in which George Washington’s face was colored black and had a noose around his neck.

Officials said the bill also had swastikas and the depiction of a Ku Klux Klan member.

The EEOC said restaurant managers claimed the images were posted as a joke. Three weeks later, Miller was fired for a bad attitude. EEOC said the images were in an area open mainly to employees.

The restaurant n has not commented, and the lawsuit seeks an order to have Sparx stop racial discrimination, carry out equal employment policies, and either re-state Miller or give him back pay.

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