The owners of Framboise Patisserie in Queens, NY were fined $25,000 for discriminating against a black woman seeking employment. According to reports, Jamilah DaCosta attempted to get a job at Framboise Patisserie when she was discriminated against by co-owner Patty Meimetea.
During the interview in 2011, Meimetea told DaCosta that she couldn’t hire her as a counter girl because she was black and would scare customers away. DaCosta was distraught by the incident and informed authorities at the Human Rights Commission in New York.
The commission did an investigation and discovered that Meimetea and her husband and co-owner, A.J. Saputhanthri, had not hired a black person or man to work at the store’s counter in the three years it had been open.
As a result, the commission ordered Framboise Patisserie to pay a $25,000 discrimination penalty. DeCosta will receive $10,000 in damages.
Since the ruling, the owners of Framboise Patisserie claim they have hired several black workers.
