Latrice Rogers and her Taste Bar & Grill restaurant are back in court after a former employee sued, claiming she was fired after she complained a Rogers relative (allegedly) tried to drug her.
Madison Carter sued Taste Bar and Grill on August 15 in U.S. District Court for employment discrimination and unpaid wages.
The complaint claims Taste hired the 24-year old Carter in June 3, 2024 as a Bar Manager. Taste allegedly agreed to pay her $20 per hour and give a bonus for designing the drink menu, hiring bartenders, and training wait staff.
The owners of Taste, Clifton and Latrice Rogers of Brandon, hosted their family reunion at the restaurant on August 31. Things soon went south for the bar manager. The complaint alleges:
One of Mr. Clifton Rogers’ cousins, Antonio Rogers, approached Plaintiff and began chatting with her.
13. Later in the evening, Mr. Antonio Rogers placed his arm around Plaintiff’s waist. 14. He then showed her two blue pills and asked if she wanted to take one. 15. Plaintiff responded no and that she already takes medicine prescribed by her doctor. 16. Mr. Antonio Rogers then said, “Do you want one of the X pills? (reference to Ecstasy or MDMA). 17. Plaintiff declined and went back behind the bar to make a few drinks. 18. A few minutes later, Mr. Antonio Rogers stood very close to Plaintiff and quickly put one of the pills in her mouth. 19. He then instructed her to swallow the pill and meet him in the bathroom in 30 minutes. 20. Plaintiff responded by removing his arm from around her waist and quickly walked away from Mr. Antonio Rogers. 21. She then took the pill out of her mouth. 22. Plaintiff then went to Kitchen Manager Chef T (name unknown), handed her the blue pill, and explained to her what had just happened.
The chef and Carter tracked down Latrice and Clifton to report what happened. Carter said Clifton Rogers wither did not either "understand or not to hear what she was saying, i.e. he was intoxicated." However, Latrice understood and replied Carter did the right thing. Clifton told his cousin to leave.
Unfortunately for Carter, more drama was to follow. Yelling at Carter, Clifton said she should have only told him about the incident and no one else, including his wife. He fired her in an email on September 8, claiming the video did not show a "customer" drugging her.
Carter filed an EEOC complaint but her former employer filed a rather clever response:
CP’s complaints spring from her acting as a bartender at a private event – she was not working for Taste at this event. The Rogers Family Reunion was held on August 31, 2024 – September 1, 2024. Members of the Rogers family organized the reunion and wanted to have bartenders and cooks. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers offered their building space (which was not yet open to the public) to their family for the reunion. ... The private event provided only an opportunity for them Carter and two other employees) to make some money as a “side hustle” if they chose to do so – it was voluntary and it was not a Taste event, nor was it paid for by Taste.
85. TBG’s Position Statement alleges that, “Later, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers heard CP being very loud – yelling and screaming in the parking lot about the incident. This drew undue attention from other guests. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers heard from others as the reunion that CP was referring to some reunion guests as “broke” because she apparently believed they were not tipping her enough. The Rogers also heard and were told of other rude and loud comments made by CP as to what CP wanted to do to someone herself.Carter said the other bartender said the guests were "broke" because they were not tipping and the rest of the Rogers' allegations were completely false. The complaint charges Taste Bar & Grill with violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, retaliation, sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The plaintiff seeks back wages, unpaid wages, restatement, compensatory damages, and punitive damages.
19 comments:
"Fondren Taste & Grill's is involved in a zoning fight as well as Jackson's Zoning Board rejected the restaurants plans to convert the space above the restaurant to several rooms for rent as a hotel or AirBNB." Funny way to title a brothel.
These people are trash. I hope their shitty restaurant/bar/whore house fails.
Horhn step in and shut this place down ASAP.
How long before Drug Enforcement shows up at Cousin Antonio’s door for a friendly chat? Will he sing and sell out his cousins?
This is hilarious as we are now using terms like "side hustle " and "throwing shade " into legal conversations. I grew up in this area, went to public schools, but I wouldn't go back there even in a bulletproof SUV.
Why does Horhn need to step in? Seems to me Taste is doing everything necessary to do this themselves
Classy bunch of people, huh?
Horhn can’t close the zoo, what makes you think he will close a business thats supporting the city?
Litigation will take down this place-
You're right. Takes courage. Haven't seen any from Horhn yet.
12:30, her husband has a pile of money and assets. He'll bail her out.
@2:13pm, I rode thru Fondren just now on the way back from lunch. Beautiful well-kept houses and people out for a walk or run and a couple on bikes. (Had an incredible lunch at Amerigo by the way) What a sad way to live your life, afraid of your own shadow. There was a shooting at the Rez in Brandon last night, but I bet you won't be renting a bulletproof SUV to ride the spillway, will you?
1:34, I am not 2:13, but your statement has nothing to do with anything. Except that this Fondren Taste Bar & Grill is ruining this atmosphere that you pleasantly experienced. It is their disrespect for the residents and other businesses in the area with their noise and parking violations. And yes the Spillway shooting was tragic just like every shooting in any area is tragic. We must all be careful and vigilant everywhere we go.
" I rode thru Fondren just now on the way back from lunch. Beautiful well-kept houses and people out for a walk or run and a couple on bikes ".
Yeah Fondren is nice, but one again North Mart Plaza is not in Fondren.
Fondren has grown leaps and bounds….black and white people living near each other. Churches are prospering and day cares are too. In 1996 there wasn’t much in Fondren proper. Today there is every type of food to eat and local clothing shops and a bowling alley and a movie theatre. People like Fondren and want it to work.
If the powers that be decided that Fondren would now include Broadmeadow, no one cares that you refuse to acknowledge that this happened. And whoever drove through Fondren and decided it was beautiful and peaceful obviously wasn't passing through when Latrice Rogers was showing out at her so-called restaurant that somehow takes up the entire block on occasion.
Mayor Horhn has released his official motto: I'm Their Leader, Which Way Did They Go?
1:34 really means he/she can't sell their house there so to save face the pretense is that "we're all really happy here".
Occam's razor says he's mad and lying. Pay that woman. His breath probably stank.
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