Civil rights suit filed against Hooter's

In my vaunted restaurant dining career, I have only had the good fortune to dine at Hooter’s twice. While I’m still a little naïve about the inner-workings of America’s most popular chicken wing franchise, I’m pretty clear on its business concept, which consists of chicken wings, beer and waitresses who wear tight-fitting clothing. However, Nicolai Grushevski may set this whole paradigm on its head. On Jan. 8, he filed a civil rights suit in the U.S. District Court in Corpus Christi -- Grushevski v. Texas Wings Inc., et al. -- against a Hooter’s franchise alleging that he was turned down for a position as a server at a Padre Island Hooter’s last year because he is a man. “Grushevski applied to become a food server, not a Hooters Girl,” according to the complaint, which can be found on PACER, the federal courts' online case and docket information service, or on CourthouseNews.com. “Grushevski is not through this suit attempting to deprive Hooters of its right to employ Hooters Girls. He is only attempting to ensure that males and females have the same opportunity to serve food and earn income therefrom.” It’ll be up to U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack or a jury to determine if Grushevski gets any civil rights relief, er, therefrom.

-- John Council