United States v. Cracker Barrel Old ..., Exercises of Business

Download United States v. Cracker Barrel Old ... and more Exercises Business in PDF only on Docsity! ;;JM.~ Clerk LU IN N THE UNITED I STATES DISTRICT COURT lU cOR F THE NORTHERN DISTRICT I I OF C GEORGIA ' ROME DIVISION O THER ~; ~~.113~R" CIV . N0 . 4 :04- -HT 11'vj 109 I O 0 CV-· l-ILtv'T ORl u ~N,~ 1 f1LEA~N~IERtS. .U"' 0 2064 1w _'6 UNITED I STATES OF AMERICA, ERICA, Plaintiff, laintiff, v . . CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE, E, INC ., ., Defendant. efendant . COMPLAINT The e United nit States t t of America eri alleges e thatt: : 1 . This hi action is brought ht by the Attorney tt General eneral on behalf alf of f the United nit States t t to enforce f r Title it II of f the Civil ivil Rights i t Act ct of f 1964 9 (Public bli Accommodations cc modations Act), ct), 42 9 U .S.C. C . § 2000a et t 2§g. sec, Jurisdiction ri i 2 . . This hi Court ourt has s jurisdiction over r this action o pursuant r t to 92 4 U .S.C. . . § 2000a-5(a) 00a-5(a) and 28 U .S.C. . C . § 1345. 3 . . Venue enue is proper er in the Northern ort r District istri t of f Georgia eorgi because s the claims m alleged eg herein r arose, , in part, art, in this District istri t and the Defendant ef dant does s business si in this i District. istri t . lll/NAL 1H~R Y' PLAI I Case 4:04-cv-00109-HLM Document 1 Filed 05/03/2004 Page 1 of 8 2 - Parties 4 . Defendant Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc . is a Tennessee corporation that is registered with the State of Georgia as a foreign corporation and does business in the Northern District of Georgia . 5 . Defendant operates a chain of more than 960 full-service restaurants in more than 90 states . Defendant's restaurants, which operate under the name Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, are principally engaged in the selling of food to be eaten on the premises . 6 . Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores are places of public accommodation within the meaning of 92 U .S .C . § 2000a(b)(2) . 7 . Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores serve, or offer to serve, persons who are interstate travelers . 8 . Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores affect commerce within the meaning of 92 U .S .C . § 2000a(c)(2) . Title II Violations 9 . Since at least 1993, Defendant has engaged in a pattern or practice of denying to African Americans, on the ground of race or color, the full and equal enjoyment of goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations, on the arti s . efendant racker a rel l ountr t re, ennessee r orati at i i it t t t f eorgia r orati es usi ess i t ort er istri t f eorgia. efendant perat s ai f ore 4 l s t ore 4 . efendant's t r nts, hi erat der e rac er a rel l ountr t re, r ri i all l f r ises. racker a rel l ountr t r l f bli odati it i eani 4 . . a( (2). rac er arrel l ountr t r , f r , r s h ra l r . . r er arrel l ountr t t erc it i t eani f 4 . . 0a( (2). itl i l t , ef ant t t i fr ericans, l r, l al oy e t s, i s, il s, t es, co odations, - Case 4:04-cv-00109-HLM Document 1 Filed 05/03/2004 Page 2 of 8 less desirable esi l tables l than t those offered f to white hit customersers; and/or d/ r C . . refusing or r delaying l i service i to African-American fri eri customers s ers because se of f their ir race . . 16 . . During uri this i time i period, ri , Cracker r er Barrel arrel has s failed to implement l ent effective t policies li i or r procedures, r dures, such as training and corporate r orat oversight, ersi ht, sufficient ffi t to prevent r t and address r customer o er discrimination i i at on the basis asi of f race or r colorl r. . 17 . Defendant's efendant's discriminatory i i t conduct uct described in paragraphs r r s 9-15 above has s occurred rr at t Cracker r er Barrel a rel restaurants t throughout ut Alabama, l a, Georgia, eorgia, Louisiana, ouisi a, Mississippi, i sissippi, North ort Carolina, aroli a, Tennessee, enne see, and Virginia, irgi ia, and has s also occurred r in other t r Cracker r er Barrel ar el restaurants t in other t r states. . This hi discriminatory m conduct uct has occurred r at t more ore than 30% of f the approximately atel 155 Cracker r er Barrel ar el locations t in those seven states. . This his discriminatory i i t r conduct uct in many a cases included u the direction, , participation rt or r acquiescence i of Cracker r er Barrel arr l managers. anagers . 18. . Defendant's efendant' conduct uct described in Paragraphs r 9-16 constitutes nstit t a pattern att or r practice r t of resistance ta to the full l and equal al enjoyment ent by African fri Americans meri of rights secured by 92 4 U.S.C. C . § 2000a et t ~., se- ., and the pattern t or practice t is of such a nature and is intended en to deny the h full l exercise r of such rightst . . - 5 - Case 4:04-cv-00109-HLM Document 1 Filed 05/03/2004 Page 5 of 8 Prayer rayer for f Relief elief WHEREFORE, HEREFORE, the t United nit States t t requests uests that t the t Court ourt enter t r an Orderrder: : 1 . . Declaring eclari that t at the t discriminatory i i at r practices racti s and policies oli i s of f Defendant efendant violate i l t Title itl II of f the Civil ivil Rights i hts Act ct of f 1969, 64, 92 4 U .S.C. . § § 2000a et t seC~.; . ; 2 . . Enjoining njoi i Defendant, efendant, its employees, ploy es, agents, ents, and successors, ccessors, and all ll other t r persons er s in active t concert ncert or r participation arti i ti with it them, , from o engaging i in any act t or practice r ct which, hich, on the ground of f race and/or / r color, l r, denies i or abridges r any rights t secured by Title itl II of f the Civil ivil Rights i ht Act ct of 1964, 9, 92 4 U .S.C. . . § 2000a et t ~.; ses . ; and 3 . . Requiring equiri Defendant, efendant, its employees, ployees, agents, ents, and successors, essors, and all ll other t r persons in active t concert cert or r participation rt with it any of f them to take such affirmative rm t steps as may a be necessary to remedy em the past st unlawful l f l conduct. uct . - 6 - Case 4:04-cv-00109-HLM Document 1 Filed 05/03/2004 Page 6 of 8 Case 4:04-cv-00109-HLM Document 1 Filed 05/03/2004 Page 7 of 8 The e United nit States t further prays r for such additional it l relief as the interests st of f justice t may a require. i . WILLIAM I AM S . . DUFEEY, FFE , JR . . United nit States t Attorney tt ByY:~B~N?' : AMY L .UBERNE ~ (Ga. a Bar ar Noo. 006670) 70) LAURA S . . KENNEDY Assistant sist t United nit States t Attorneys tt 75 Spring ri Street, t et, SW Room 600 Atlanta, tl nta, GA 30303 (909) 4 4) 581-6261 (909) 4 4) 581-6150 (fax) ) JOHN O ASHCROFT Attorney General R . ALEXANDER ACOSTA Assistant s ist t Attorney tt General eneral Civil ivil Rights i t Divisi ivis; STEVEN Anff4~ H. ROSENBAUM Chief hi f Housing ousi and Civil ivil Enforcement ent Section ct Civil ivil Rights i t Division ivi DONNA M . MURQH~C Deputy eput Chief hief v Housing ousi and Civil ivil Enforcement f ent Se tion o lUI.-( 1/ L /I, ,o-J-;~ (( I\'I-L) DEBORAH A . GITIN ALLEN W. LEVY NANCY F. . LANGWORTHY Trial ri l Attorneys t Housing ousi and Civil ivil Enforcement ent Section t Civil ivil Rights i ht Division i i U .S. . Department epart ent of f Justice 950 Pennsylvania syl i Ave., ve NW Washington, ashington, 7 D.C. . 20530 (202) 305-2020 JOS LOLO ArM-- - 7 -