Two waitresses are suing a New Hampshire cafe over claims they were fired because management wanted younger, prettier staff.
Stephanie Plante, 42, of Swanzey, and Karen Berthiaume, 67, of Winchester, jointly filed the age discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Concord.
They were both working at Audrey’s Cafe, a Monadnock-area landmark, when new management took over in 2013. Plante had been working at the establishment for 20 years before it was taken over.
The women claim Malaise Lindenfeld, who bought the cafe, told Plante and Doug Shackett, the prior owner of the cafe, that they needed to hire ‘better looking’ wait staff, and one of the current staff was ‘too busty,’ the Union Leader reports.
Two waitresses are suing Audrey’s cafe, New Hampshire, over claims they were fired because management wanted younger, prettier staff
Another server ‘had ugly lips’ and ‘looked like she was smelling a bad fart all day,’ the lawsuit states.
‘Lindenfeld made the comment because the server often looked unhappy and she was concerned that this would negatively impact her customers,’ Lindenfeld said in her response.
It continued that it was a common phrase in her native Venezuela.
The suit also states that the new owners introduced a new ‘revealing’ uniform which they were forced to wear.
When they complained about the ‘inappropriate, cleavage-revealing and tight’ T-shirts, the owners said they wanted to replace them with younger staff, the lawsuit states.
‘The female servers, including the plaintiffs, felt uncomfortable in the shirts, and plaintiffs and the staff expressed that they were not appropriate because the shirts’ junior cut revealed cleavage and were tight across their breasts and they were so skimpy that they rode up to reveal bare skin during lifting and reaching and were especially inappropriate for mature, older women,’ the lawsuit states.
Stephanie Plante, 42, of Swanzey, and Karen Berthiaume, 67, of Winchester, were both working at Audrey’s Cafe, a Monadnock-area landmark, when new management took over in 2013
The former owner Shackett reportedly became concerned after seeing the uniforms that staff were being discriminated against and tried to buy them new, less revealing shirts. But Lindenfeld told staff they had to wear her original shirts or be fired, according to the lawsuit.
The suit states that Shackett was told by Lindenfeld she wanted to hire ‘better-looking women’.
He then drew Plante’s attention to a section of the company handbook which set down rules about staff discrimination.
Lindenfeld insists in her response that the pair were fired for poor job performance. The waitresses were then banned from Audrey’s and three other businesses Lindenfeld owned.
The lawsuit was filed in February, and is currently scheduled for a 2019 trial.