A Black operations executive at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in suburban Philadelphia is suing the chain after being forced to endure incessant bigotry from the franchise owner, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit reviewed by The Independent.
For nearly two full years, Tiffany Lynch, 38, was “subjected to a barrage of discriminatory and stereotypical comments related to her race and the race of other Black employees or clientele,” her complaint alleges.
Among other things, Chick-fil-A Wayne Square owner-operator Joshua Grimm, who is white, regularly used the “N-word,” insinuated that Black people “smell,” that they “are going to be cheap,” and that they “require extra cleanup,” according to the complaint.
If Lynch tried to bring aboard a Black employee, Grimm would question her judgment, and attempted to “discourage certain hires,” asking if they were “Nasir Black” – referring to “a well-spoken and professional Black male employee” who once worked at the Wayne Square location – or if they were “ghetto Black,” the complaint states.
It says Grimm’s behavior was “clear racism,” as he denigrated even “well-to-do Black clientele,” according to the complaint, which also accuses the 33-year-old of making repeated homophobic comments to Lynch, who is gay.
Grimm, a Pittsburgh native, worked for Chick-fil-A as a teen and later gave up a budding career as a civil engineer to go back to the fast-food chain as a franchisee, according to a press release the company issued in 2023.
“Outside of the restaurant, Grimm and his family are very involved in their church and enjoy traveling together,” the release said.
Chick-fil-A, which is closed on Sundays, is an organization “based on biblical principles, asking God and pleading with God to give us wisdom on decisions we make about people and the programs and partnerships we have,” chairman Dan T. Cathy told the Baptist Press. “And He has blessed us.”
At the same time, Chick-fil-A has faced similar accusations of racism in the past. Last May, a Black employee at a Chick-fil-A franchise in Idaho sued over claims he endured more than a half-year of racist abuse from coworkers who allegedly called him the “N-word,” referred to him, variously, as an “ape” and a “monkey,” and threatened to cage him like an animal.
A Chick-fil-A spokesperson did not respond on Tuesday to requests for comment. Messages sent to Grimm seeking comment, along with an attorney representing both him and the chain against Lynch’s allegations, went unanswered.
Lynch was hired in December 2023 as the executive director for operations at Chick-fil-A Wayne Square, in Wayne, Pennsylvania, according to her complaint, which was filed February 2 in Philadelphia federal court.
The job is a senior leadership position, overseeing both front and back-of-house operations. Lynch reported directly to Grimm, who is described in the complaint as a “Caucasian male.”
It says Grimm made racist and homophobic comments to Lynch “on a daily basis,” occurring “whenever [she] saw” him, the complaint states.
“Defendant Grimm used the [N-word] many times in Plaintiff’s presence,” the complaint alleges. “For example, Defendant Grimm frequently told stories that he had an all-white upbringing and when he met his first Black person he said, ‘what’s up my [N-word].” He told this story regularly emphasizing the [N-word]”
Grimm would further “make derogatory comments about Black clientele either directly or insinuating they smell, they will require extra cleanup, they are going to be cheap, about food stereotypes, ‘we don’t take food stamp[s]’- type of comments, or other statements exhibiting a general dislike for the race,” the complaint continues. “He did not make these same types of racist or stereotypical comments with Caucasians, regardless of their smell or appearance. It was clear racism, as he made such comments even about clean, professional-looking, or well-to-do Black clientele.”
“There were no concerns whatsoever with hiring a non-Black person who was from the inner city or who used slang,” the complaint goes on. “Yet, there was constant pushback if a Black employee was considered for hiring… Anytime [Lynch] tried to hire a Black employee, Defendant Grimm would question the [move], asking, ‘Is the person ‘Nasir Black’ or ‘ghetto Black[?]””
Further, according to the complaint, Grimm “regularly” directed Lynch to retrieve certain items from a storage closet, accompanied by snide comments that she “might not come back ‘out of the closet,’ or that he did not want [Lynch] to have to come out of the closet again.”
Lynch took personal offense to Grimm’s language, and made sure he knew it, the complaint states.
“[S]he gave pushback related to Defendant Grimm’s discriminatory hiring practices, stating to him that he should not discriminate against black applicants when he was trying to discourage certain hires, asking if they were ‘ghetto,’” according to the complaint, which says Lynch became “quite vocal in objecting,” because Grimm’s comments were “so intense and so frequent.”
However, Lynch’s protestations only served to encourage Grimm to continue conducting himself “in a completely entitled and immature manner[,] constantly being unprofessional,” the complaint states. And, it claims, with Grimm’s sister in charge of HR at the Wayne Square location, her formal reports about what was happening “were not meaningfully investigated.”
In November 2025, Lynch took a long-planned five-day vacation. While she was out, Grimm, without warning, removed her from the work schedule and immediately cut off her access to her company email, according to the complaint. Lynch at this point notified Chick-fil-A corporate about the “history of discrimination and retaliation” by Grimm, and said she was “desperately seeking” help from headquarters, the complaint maintains.
But, it says, she got a response back from Chick-fil-A HQ saying they were “unable to help.”
The next day, Grimm terminated Lynch “due to subpar performance,” which the complaint describes as “false and pretextual.”
“Plaintiff believes and therefore avers that her race was the motivating or determinative factor in Defendants’ decision to terminate her employment,” the complaint states.
Lynch is suing JLL Hospitality LLC, which owns Chick-fil-A Wayne Square, and Grimm individually. She is now asking a judge to force Chick-fil-A to “promulgate an effective policy against such discrimination/retaliation,” and to award her back pay, front pay, bonuses and other benefits, as well as damages to be determined by a jury.
Chick-fil-A Wayne Square and Grimm have until March 31 to file a formal response to Lynch’s allegations.
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