On Aug 22, 2023, a federal judge in Chicago refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed on behalf of African-American plaintiff Michael Peaster, former vice president of global safety, security & intelligence for McDonald’s, who claimed his termination in 2022 was discriminatory because of his race and that it was part of a hostile work environment based on his race. He also claimed it was retaliatory based on his respectful, but legitimate contradiction of McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski on the subject of race. The case is centered on controversial comments that Kempczinski made in a November 2021 text message to then-Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot regarding a shooting at a McDonald’s restaurant. The link below from Reuters coverage on the lawsuit includes comments from Caruso on the decision.
