Epiq Food Hall to Pay $54,000 in EEOC Racial Harassment Suit

WASHINGTON - Epiq Food Hall Woodbridge, LLC, which owned and operated a food hall in Woodbridge, Virginia, will pay $54,000 and provide other relief to settle a racial harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC's suit, Epiq's black general manager faced racial harassment from the company's owner, who frequently made derogatory comments about black customers and employees, calling them "ignorant," "ghetto," and "riff-raff." The owner also told the general manager that he "look[ed] like [he] spoke thug language" and referred to him using the N-word, the EEOC alleged. Tired of the owner's harassment and without any avenue to file a report, the general manager resigned in January 2023 after six months of employment, the EEOC said.

"Employees should not be forced to tolerate racial slurs and degrading harassment from their boss to earn a living," said Debra Lawrence, regional attorney for the EEOC's Philadelphia District Office. "Federal law holds employers automatically liable for the harassing conduct of their owners."

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Epiq Food Hall Woodbridge, LLC, et al., Civil Action No. 1:24-cv-01518) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia after first attempting to reach a prelitigation settlement through its conciliation process.

EEOC Washington Field Office Director Mindy E. Weinstein said, "Unfortunately, harassment remains all too common in the restaurant industry. This litigation and its resolution demonstrate the EEOC's steadfast commitment to enforcing the law and protecting the rights of workers in that sector."

The three-year consent decree settling the suit provides $54,000 to the former general manager. As represented in the decree, Epiq no longer has any operating businesses or employees. In addition to the monetary relief, the decree states that should Epiq resume business operations, it shall be enjoined from creating or maintaining a hostile work environment on the basis of race; create and distribute an anti-harassment policy, and provide Title VII training to its owners and management. The EEOC's suit also brought claims against 4 Brothers Properties, LLC, which purchased the food hall in October 2023, under a theory of successor liability. The consent decree does not settle the claims against 4 Brothers Properties, LLC.

For more information on race discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/racecolor-discrimination . More information on harassment is available at https://www.eeoc.gov/harassment .

The EEOC's Washington Field Office has jurisdiction over Washington, D.C., and parts of Virginia. Attorneys in the Philadelphia District Office prosecute discrimination cases within the jurisdiction of the Washington Field Office.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .