EEOC sues Texas Chick-fil-A operator for religious discrimination and wrongful termination

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Signage for a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Brampton, Ontario, on April 21, 2026. (Photo by Mike Campbell/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

AUSTIN, Texas - A Chick-fil-A franchise operator in Austin violated federal law by refusing to accommodate an employee’s religious observance. The employee was later fired after she declined a demotion. 

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said in a lawsuit announced Thursday.

EEOC alleges religious accommodation violation

What we know:

The EEOC alleges Hatch Trick, Inc., which operates multiple Chick-fil-A locations in Austin, failed to reasonably accommodate an employee who requested not to work Saturdays because of her religious beliefs as a member of the United Church of God denomination.

According to the lawsuit, the employee, who managed delivery drivers at one of the company’s Austin restaurants, disclosed during her job interview that she observed a Saturday Sabbath and could not work on Saturdays. The company initially honored the request, the EEOC said, but later told her she would be required to work Saturdays.

Manager fired after refusing demotion

Dig deeper:

In the news release, the EEOC said the employee met several times with company officials and proposed alternatives that would have allowed her to continue in her managerial role while observing her Sabbath. The federal agency alleges Hatch Trick rejected those options and instead told the employee she would have to move to a non-managerial delivery driver position with lower pay, fewer benefits and reduced hours.

When the employee declined the reassignment, the company fired her, according to the lawsuit.

Federal law and religious rights in the workplace

Chick-fil-A sign in Naples, Florida. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

What they're saying:

"The duty under federal law to provide reasonable accommodation of religion reflects an acknowledgment by our society of the importance of faith in workers’ everyday lives and an abiding respect for those who observe religious practices as an expression of that faith," acting EEOC Dallas Regional Attorney Ronald L. Phillips said in a statement.

Phillips added that employers are obligated under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide reasonable religious accommodations unless doing so would create an undue hardship for business.

Legal proceedings in Austin federal court

What's next:

The lawsuit, EEOC v. Hatch Trick, Inc., was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, after the agency said efforts to reach a settlement through conciliation failed.