1-current employee and 2-former employees suing Tim Hortons after discrimination

(FOX 2) - Two former Tim Hortons employees and one current employee are talking to the media about racial discrimination. 

The employees say they first encountered discrimination beginning in 2017 while working at the Tim Horton’s location in Dearborn. 

“She’d be like come here, let me use your *beep* strength or let me use your *beep* height and things like that,” said current employee, John Munningham. “It just made me feel like *beep* basically. Like what am I here for? A piece of meat doing you all slave work.” 

“When it was time for me to get a raise, the manager told me I should go to the crack house and sell drugs,” said Francis Martin a former employee. 

The employees said they complained, but nothing happened, so they hired attorney Nabai Ayad who in turn filed a federal complaint with The Equal Opportunity Commission, which led to an investigation, 

“We hope that management, ownership will take responsibility here and see there is a serious problem here,” Ayad said. “Whether it’s by management, higher ups or the ownership that they need to change their ways and treat people with respect.”

Francis said in addition to being discriminated against, she was paid less than white employees and when she tried to resign because she couldn't’get a raise, she was fired. 

Francis’ daughter, Star Martin, was also let go after she said she got into an argument with a customer who called her an animal. 

“I said, ‘just because I’m black I’m an animal?’ and she said ‘yeah’ and it was just a lot of BS,” Star said. 

Munningham has been transferred to another Tim Horton’s in Dearborn, but he says the discrimination is going on there too. 

FOX 2 reached out to Tim Horton’s Corporate Headquarters, but has not heard anything back.