Waiters sacked 'for being French'

[kskiska]

Just when there appeared to have been a thaw in relations between the US and France, hostilities have resumed in earnest. The battleground this time is one of New York's most expensive restaurants, where three former waiters have filed a $5m lawsuit claiming they were dismissed for being French.

René Bordet, 68, Jean-Claude Lesbre, 63 and Yves Thépault, 68, said the management at the 21 Club, a former speakeasy that is now a popular haunt of politicians, businessmen and Hollywood stars, "created and fostered an environment rife with anti-French sentiment."

Both Mr Bordet and Mr Lesbre worked for 10 years as waiters and hosts at the restaurant before being sacked in 2004 for allegedly drinking wine on the job. Mr Thépault, who had worked for 14 years as a waiter, was dismissed this year for alleged gross insubordination after an argument with a chef about a hamburger, the court papers said.

The civil suit claimed that the management of the restaurant "made fun of Mr Bordet's French accent" and "expressed glee" that "President Bush hated the French".

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1511554,00.html

[Kathryn STone]

1. oh dear I want to see what happens with this

I like the fact that the Guardian has the story, too. Will the pendulum ever swing back the other way, to the good times with President Clinton who came from a "poor" family and was not only bright, well educated but also had great empathy for others. Oh dear now I have to wash my mouth out with soap for invoking BC's name brings back the memory of the "shocking" things he did (grin/duck)

[dArKeR]

2. I totally believe this story!

[TomClash]

3. 21sucks anyway

No native New Yorkers eat there. Bad haute bourgeois food for tourists and demi-capitalists. Ugh.

[area51]

4. "... a thaw in relations between the US and France...."

I guess the article writer didn't know about the French military plane denied the courtesy of refueling @ an American airbase when they were low on fuel. As someone noted, imagine what would've happened if the situation had been reversed & the French had denied an American military plane permission to refuel.

[NeoConsSuck]

5. Nice article..

but why the hell are these stories only found in non-american news outlets?