Rouge Hit with Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Former Rouge sous chef and dishwasher says he was called the n-word and "nigga" many times during his employment there. Owner Rob Wasserman says, "I look forward to the day when the actual truth comes out."

Rouge in Rittenhouse Square (photo by Megan DiTrolio)

Rouge in Rittenhouse Square (photo by Megan DiTrolio)

We here at Foobooz see discrimination lawsuits (and, hell, plenty of other types of lawsuits) filed against Philadelphia restaurants all the time. But this one filed against Rouge in Rittenhouse Square caught our interest today.

A former sous chef and dishwasher has filed a federal racial discrimination lawsuit against the popular 18th Street spot, alleging that he was subjected to frequent racial slurs and that when he complained about it, his shifts were cut. He also says that he wasn’t provided the same staff meals as non-African American employees.

Rob Wasserman, who bought the restaurant from founder Neil Stein, suggests there’s more to the story saying, “I look forward to the day when the actual truth comes out.”

The full story here.