Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles Ordered to Pay Over $1 Million in Racial Discrimination Suit

Bad news out of the Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles brand today, as the iconic Los Angeles restaurant empire loses a racial discrimination lawsuit that should set them back more than $1 million.

The suit was first brought by former employee Daniel Beasley, says CBS Los Angeles, who worked for a time at the Pico Boulevard location of Roscoe’s. While there, Beasley, a black man, says he was the recipient of various forms of racial discrimination at the hands of all-Hispanic management. Those claims include unfair treatment in the workplace, issues with shift scheduling, and — after Beasley complained to HR and Roscoe’s ownership — retaliation that ultimately ended with him being fired.

A Southern California jury has sided with Beasley, awarding the man roughly $1.6 million in personal damages. Of course, Roscoe’s has the opportunity to appeal, but it doesn’t look good for the bird-and-waffle brand, which has become something of a soul food icon over the decades. Roscoe’s hasn’t replied to various requests for comment, and they likely won’t — the family-owned brand is notoriously tight-lipped, even when things are going well.