Bellevue Dairy Queen owners sued on accusations of age discrimination
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The owners of a local Dairy Queen franchise are being sued on accusations of age discrimination.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit against Tennessee Restaurant Group, LLC, a DQ Grill & Chill franchisee with offices in Bellevue, on Friday.
The lawsuit alleges that the fast food location "routinely failed to hire employees over the age of 40" after a 60-year-old woman didn't get the job she applied for.
The EEOC said 60-year-old Theresa Chandler was told she was a "good fit" for the position when interviewing in March 2017, but ultimately didn't get the position. The EEOC says Dairy Queen proceeded to hire five new employees, all under the age of 40, claiming younger employees gave the business more flexibility.
An investigation conducted by the Nashville District Office claims that is not the case.
The EEOC first tried a voluntary pre-litigation settlement before filing a lawsuit.
FOX 17 News is reaching out to Tennessee Restaurant Group for comment.
