A man who said he worked as a printer in a restaurant in New York City’s Chinatown has sued the restaurant, claiming he was discriminated against because he’s gay.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, alleges that the restaurant discriminated against him because he is gay and because of his HIV status.
The restaurant, called The Blue House, refused to hire the man after he told his boss he was HIV positive, according to the lawsuit.
The suit alleges that when the restaurant tried to hire him as a bartender, they said he should not have been allowed in the restaurant because he was “unfit for such a prestigious position.”
The restaurant denied the allegations and said in a statement that the man was fired for not working in the right capacity.
“The Blue House would never discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” the statement read.
“We will defend ourselves vigorously against these false claims.”
The lawsuit claims that The Blue Hall’s owner has since been fired and that the plaintiff has filed suit on his behalf.
It is not known whether the restaurant will be found liable.
The man who filed the suit was a restaurant worker at The Blue Heart, which opened in January 2018 in the Financial District.
A previous lawsuit against The Blue Hoppers alleged that the restaurants owner retaliated against a worker who filed a sexual harassment complaint, according a Daily News article from last year.
The previous suit was dismissed in 2018, but the New York State Attorney General’s Office is investigating the allegations.
The original complaint alleges that a woman who worked as The Blue Hatter told her employer she was HIV-positive and that he told her he was gay.
According to The New York Times, the woman also alleged that she was fired because of the sexual harassment.