McDonald’s Exec Files Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against CEO Chris Kempczinski

McDonald’s most recent legal trouble, a racial discrimination lawsuit, has arisen after its outgoing vice president of global safety, security and intelligence, Michael Peaster, a Black man, claims he was discriminated against.

This comes alongside an announcement that a McDonald’s franchisee will be paying $100k to settle out of court after claims of the franchisee discriminating against an established employee with autism, violating Americans with Disabilities Act protections.

In 2020, the franchise was sued for up to $1 billion by dozens of Black former franchise owners. The group claimed the franchisor systematically disadvantaged them within the franchise model.

In June, the company agreed to conduct a third-party civil rights audit after a slew of anti-discrimination lawsuits. However, it has found itself in hot water once again.

The company has released a statement saying that its most recent legal trouble is not related to any retaliation or discrimination but rather that the terminated employee had “serious performance issues.”

However, Peaster claims that Kempczinski “ignored Peaster and humiliated him in public meetings” and that Desiree Ralls-Morrison, general counsel, “made it difficult for Peaster’s office to adequately ensure the safety of the company’s executives.”

McDonald’s has vehemently denied the claims and plans to contest the suit.