NAPERVILLE, Ill. _ The families involved in a racist incident at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Naperville called on the company Tuesday to establish "zero tolerance" hiring practices that will ensure no other customer experiences a similar situation.
Justin Vahl, of Montgomery, and Marcus Riley, of Joliet, recounted their story Tuesday during a news conference at St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church in Aurora and said they are urging the owners of the sports bar/casual dining restaurant chain to implement racial screening as part of the interview process before hiring employees.
The two men were joined by attorney Cannon Lambert, their sons and some of the people who were present during the Oct. 26 incident at the Buffalo Wild Wings on 75th Street, near Route 59. At the center of the controversy are two restaurant employees who asked the men's party of 18 to move to new tables because a restaurant patron did not want to be seated near black people.
Two employees, both managers, were fired after the incident became public. The customer has been banned from all Buffalo Wild Wings sports bars for life, the company said.
Lambert said they're seeking zero tolerance definitions in Buffalo Wild Wings employee handbooks, a hotline where anyone can report racial bias, signage in break rooms to combat bigotry and an accountability system.
Lambert is well known in the Chicago area for his representation of the family of Sandra Bland, a former Naperville woman who was found hanged in her Waller County, Texas, jail cell three days after she was arrested during a traffic stop. The wrongful death lawsuit he filed requested $1.9 million in damages.
The lawyer said the intent is to continue the dialog with Buffalo Wild Wings. No lawsuit or boycott is planned.
"You don't have to file a lawsuit if there is no disagreement," Lambert said.
Buffalo Wild Wings, in a statement posted on Twitter, said it has been in direct communication with the families and offered its "deepest apologies for any unacceptable behavior."
The company also said all employees in the Chicago area will undergo sensitivity training, which will be in addition to enforcing a new company-wide RESPECT program implemented this fall.
In regard to the customer who was banned, Lambert said he wants assurances that the restriction is enforced. "How do you know for sure?" he asked.
