Texas Roadhouse Restaurants Accused of Age Discrimination - Not HIring Over 40 Employees For FOH Positionss

The U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission has filed suit against the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain in the U.S. District Court in Boston, claiming the restaurant discriminates against workers over 40 when hiring “front of the house” staff that interacts with the public.

“Applicants rarely know that they have been denied a job because of their age,” said Mark Penzel, senior trial attorney in the EEOC’s Boston office, in a statement. “When the commission uncovers such evidence, it will act aggressively to remedy the violation.”

The complaint alleges the Kentucky-based restaurant chain has instructed its managers since 2007 to hire younger servers, hosts and bartenders, and has few employees over 40 in those positions.

“We deny the EEOC’s allegations that we violated the Age Discrimination Act,” said Texas Roadhouse spokesman Travis Doster, in a statement. “We are fully prepared to defend against these baseless claims.”

The EEOC said it failed in a routine attempt to settle the matter with Texas Roadhouse before filing suit.

Texas Roadhouse has 350 locations in 46 states, including restaurants in Everett, Brockton, North Dartmouth, Danvers, Methuen, Walpole, Worcester, Leominster and Springfield.