A Black man claims he was passed over for a job with Love's Travel Stops because of his race.
Albert Bell filed his complaint in federal court against Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores.
According to the complaint, Bell interviewed for a position at the Love's location in Kansas City on January 10, 2023. The interview was conducted by Melissa McGary, the general manager of the location, and a white man believed to be the hiring manager.
During his interview, Bell says he was subjected to discriminatory comments from the managers. He claims he was told they were not expecting someone who "looked like" him and that there were issues with "certain" employees stealing from the store. Bell interpreted these comments as racially charged.
Despite completing his interview, Bell did not receive an offer for the position. He later learned from a Love's employee that McGary allegedly refuses to hire Black applicants.
The lawsuit also details an incident on April 17, 2023, where Bell was confronted by a store supervisor while trying to get a free fountain drink refill as part of his Diamond level membership in Love's customer reward program.