Local man sues Hooters, claims gender bias

The "Award Winning" Corpus Christi Caller-Times ^ | 12:35 p.m., January 13, 2009 | Mary Ann Cavazos

[Paleo Conservative]

CORPUS CHRISTI — A Corpus Christi man has filed a lawsuit against Hooters accusing the restaurant chain of gender discrimination for not hiring him as a food server. The lawsuit is an attempt to reopen an issue that was settled 11 years ago in a class action that ended in an agreement that established that the chain’s signature Hooters Girls could continue to be the restaurants’ only food servers.

Nikolai Grushevski’s suit recognizes this earlier agreement, disputes it and invites other men to join him in seeking another class action. He asserts in the suit that when he applied to be a waiter at the local restaurant in May 2008 he was not hired because of his gender.

The suit claims that even though food servers are referred to exclusively as “Hooters Girls,” the job should not be limited only to women.

“Just as Southwest Airlines attempted nearly three decades ago with stewardesses, the waiter’s position addressed herein is being limited to females by an employer...” the suit states.

Grushevski says in the suit he isn’t trying to prevent the company from employing Hooters Girls but wants to ensure that both men and women have the chance to work as wait staff.

In 1997, Hooters agreed to pay $3.75 million to settle a sexual discrimination lawsuit filed by a group of men. That settlement provided that the service of food and beverages would continue to be performed only by Hooters Girls. Hooters also agreed to create “gender neutral” positions for other positions like bartender, host and kitchen staff.

Grushevski’s suit, filed Thursday in federal court, seeks an unspecified amount of money including for emotional and punitive damages.

It also asks the court to grant an injunction to stop Hooters from “discriminating against male applicants for the waiters position.”

An e-mail seeking comment from a Hooters spokesperson was not immediately returned. Attempts to reach Grushevski were unsuccessful.

Houston-based attorney Martin A. Shellist, who represents Grushevski, said he wanted to make it clear his client didn’t sue to become a Hooters Girl.

“My client wants to be a waiter. He does not want to be a Hooters Girl,” Shellist said. “He wants to serve food and earn tips and why can’t he?”

[Paleo Conservative]

I couldn't post the whole headline in the 100 character limit, so here it is below.

Local man sues Hooters, claims gender bias
Seeks to reopen issue settled 11 years ago over food server staff

[xcamel]

related (sort of)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2163483/posts

[nickcarraway]

Didn’t this already happen years ago?

[LukeL]

King of the Hill did an episode about this.

[wac3rd]

The trial lawyers’ gravy train keeps on chuggin’

[Jackson57]

The guy doesn’t want a job, he wants to create trouble and get a settlement. Hooters should hire him, but make him wear the same shorts and t-shirts as the other “waitstaff”. After a few weeks of constantly being laughed at, he might wise up.

[r9etb]

Houston-based attorney Martin A. Shellist, who represents Grushevski, said he wanted to make it clear his client didn’t sue to become a Hooters Girl.

True -- they both sued because they see a chance to make a pile of money for free.

“My client wants to be a waiter. He does not want to be a Hooters Girl,” Shellist said. “He wants to serve food and earn tips and why can’t he?”

He can: there are approximately 29 gajillion places where he can apply for a job to serve food and earn tips.

[JRandomFreeper]

TTIWWP.

/johnny

[MeanWestTexan]

Yes, and it was settled at the US Supreme Court, I think.

[BossLady]

From - http://www.industryfinest.com/news/headlines/nikolai-grushevski-sues-hooters-for-not-being-a-a-hooters-boy.html

~~Update: Alexis Aleshire, a spokeswoman for Hooters, e-mailed us some information about another federal lawsuit that eventually determined that in order to be a Hooters Girl, you must be a woman.

Aleshire also included a comment from Mike McNeil, vice president of marketing for Hooters of America: "The good news is that when this happened the last time, Hooters benefitted from an avalanche of positive publicity and public support for keeping Hooters Girls, well, girls. If we lose this go around, you can next expect hairy legged guys in the Rockettes to line up and male models in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. You wonder why people just can't leave good things alone." ~~

[r9etb]

Lawyer Martin A. Shellist

The picture explains much, IMO. Fast operator.

[DaveyB]

Hooters should hire him, but make him wear the same shorts and t-shirts as the other “waitstaff”...

Then he will sue because he is getting no tips and sexually harassed.

[shove_it]

Bingo! The ideal out of court settlement.

[Joe Boucher]

You may be mean but ya gots nice pictures.

[tvdog12345]

Well, OK, but how does he look in the uniform?

[nmh]

Is this the ONLY way he can get attention?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

“He wants to serve food and earn tips and why can’t he?”

He can. Just not at Hooters. Problem solved.

[maggief]

[Don Corleone]

This opens suits against Hustler re carpal tunnel syndrome. /snic

[09Patriot]

yep that was a funny episode.

[the invisib1e hand]

He can: there are approximately 29 gajillion places where he can apply for a job to serve food and earn tips.

Well said.

[Joe Boucher]

“Fast operator”?
This guy is a slimy p.o.s. lawyer.
He is what they invented soilent green to get rid of.

[SkyDancer]

Have him get some hooters and send him back in .....

[ViLaLuz]

The article doesn’t show his picture. How can we tell if he’s worthy wait staff?

[Venturer]

How many tips does this clown think he will make from men who go to Hooters to see the waitresses.

This suit is nothing more than a scam. They ought to lock up him and his lawyer.

[Spirochete]

Then he will sue because he is getting no tips and sexually harassed.

Eventually he'll end up in a trauma ward.

[swarthyguy]

Well, gay guys who frequent Hooters don’t have a chance to get titillated.

Lesbians, I assume are rather happy.

Ask this guy to get a pair of tits......

[zerosix]

So slap a push-up bra on the guy and send him out there to take orders wearing short, shorts!!!

[piytar]

“’My client wants to be a waiter. He does not want to be a Hooters Girl,’ Shellist said. ‘He wants to serve food and earn tips and why can’t he?’”

Because Hooters is a glorified toned down strip club. Hooters should let him work there. He’ll get about $0.10 in tips a day. Loser.

Of course, what is really going on is another scumbag looking for a jackpot lawsuit. Loser x10.

[Cementjungle]

He just doesn’t stack up.

[ReeseBN38416]

There is no way, no way, that I would go to Hooters and pay too much for beer and eat those mediocre at best chicken wings and look forward to being served by a dude.

[Sudetenland]

WTF business is it of our government who works as a server in any restaurant, hotel, bar, or any private business?

Where in our Constitution does it in anyway guarantee a person's right to be hired by a private business, or to not be descriminated against for whatever reason the owner of that business chooses?

This nation has long since left the Constitution behind.

While I agree with the government's (and the courts' rights to interfere and assert non-descrimination in any publicly funded or supported operation, I do not, have never and will never agree that the government should have the right to instruct a private business how it should operate, who it should hire, who it should serve, or what reasons are or are not legitimate for denying any individual those priviledges by that private business (hence the word PRIVATE as opposed to PUBLIC).

[LetsRok]

"How many tips does this clown think he will make from men who go to Hooters to see the waitresses.

This suit is nothing more than a scam. They ought to lock up him and his lawyer."

If I walked into the resturaunt and a guy came to wait on my table, I would ask to be moved to a different table. He may have a job, but he won't be getting paid by me.

[batter]

Man boobs?!

[mc5cents]

Gender bias? What ever happened to our wonderful English language? It is sexual bias, not gender. We are losing the language war folks. Sorry, but I was instructed in Catholic schools and when I used poor grammar I heard about it in no uncertain terms.

[MeanWestTexan]

LOL. I actually like their chicken.

[NCjim]

I’ll take chair #1, please.

[AndrewB]

He might get on at Raisins.

[TASMANIANRED]

Give them a job at the local pole dancing establishment.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

...seeks an unspecified amount of money including for emotional and punitive damages...

We need tort reform with loser pay to reduce these pathetic suits.

[VRWCmember]

“My client wants to be a waiter. He does not want to be a Hooters Girl,” Shellist said. “He wants to serve food and earn tips and why can’t he?”

There are plenty of other establishments where he could serve food and earn tips. Hooters is not preventing him from doing so.

[Venturer]

I have nothing against male waiters. Just not in Hooters’

[RichInOC]

The kind of men who have hooters are generally not the kind I want to see in a white tank top and orange short shorts. In fact I would venture to suggest that even women do not want to see that kind of guy in the Hooters uniform.

[Ed Condon]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

I was filling out a form at a doctor’s office, and one of the entries was for “gender”. I crossed out the word, and printed “Sex” above it.

[SwinneySwitch]

Hell in a handbasket ping!

If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.

[SandRat]

This a SNL skit writing itself.

[Squantos]

Did you every turn in yer uniform when you worked there ?

[Eaker]

Oh Hell No!

I look GOOD!

[Squantos]

Yer nuts !

(maybe not the best choice of words in this case)