Controversies
In 2005, an illegal alien who was employed at the White Hen Pantry in Winnetka, IL was accused of raping a 14 year old girl who had stopped by the store on her way home from bicycling from a softball game. A lawsuit alleged that the employee raped the girl twice while the manager kept watch for him and provided him with condoms from the store. Despite his status as an illegal alien, the judge granted the man bail, and he subsequently failed to show up for his initial hearing. It is believed the accused returned to Mexico.
In 2007, an employee in a Boston area store was fired after she announced her pregnancy. The terminated employee filed suit for sex discrimination. The employee claimed that after telling her employer of her pregnancy, he became unfriendly, as well as demanding towards her, and gave her increasingly more work. The owner's credibility was severely compromised when he gave contradictory testimony about the employee's performance. Additional testimony alleged that the owner refused to consider applicants for employment if they came into the store with small children. The terminated employee was awarded $9,471.00 in back pay, as well as $20,000.00 in damages for emotional distress.
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