SPRINGFIELD – A Missouri restaurant owner is facing a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by a former employee.
Michael Shephard, an African-American man living in Pulaski County, filed the lawsuit against K2 Restaurant Concepts Inc., doing business as Chicken Bones Party Bar & Grill and its owner Louie R. Keen in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri Springfield Division. A complaint filed May 14 notes that Shephard was employed by the restaurant from mid-2016 until his termination in September.
The lawsuit alleges that Shephard “was harassed and subjected to discrimination on the basis of his race." It claims Keen made multiple racial slurs and racists comments directed at African Americans in general and Shephard in particular. In September, Keen reportedly sent Shephard a text saying he was going to buy him a confederate hat.
The complaint further states that Keen posted a comment on Facebook three days later using a derogatory word toward African Americans and tagging Shephard in the post. It also claims Keen texted Shephard, saying he couldn’t attend work that night because of his “KKK meeting.” In addition to the derogatory comments, African American employees were reportedly forced to work in the back of the restaurant while white employees weren’t.
The lawsuit goes on to say that Shephard was harassed and subjected to discrimination “on the basis of sex stereotypes and being insufficiently masculine.” In one incident in September, Keen reportedly tagged Shephard in a Facebook post with a picture stating, “100% super gay.” When Shephard complained to his general manager about the discriminatory behavior, he was fired the next day.
The complaint alleges that Shephard was terminated because of his opposition to the defendants’ harassing and discriminatory behavior.
Shephard is being represented by Aaron Klusmeyer of Lowther Johnson Attorneys at Law LLC in Springfield.