Former Wawa Worker Alleges Racially Hostile Environment
READING, Pa. (AP) - A former Wawa convenience store employee is alleging in a federal lawsuit that a manager told him "you Spanish people really like your vacation" and that "we aren't paying you to speak Puerto Rican."
Philadelphia magazine reported Wednesday that Juan Piniero, a former fresh food manager at a Reading-area store, alleges that the company wrongly terminated him, fostered a racially hostile work environment and violated the state Human Relations Act.
Piniero says he was terminated early last year, about a month after being injured at work. He says a general manager blamed him for problems he couldn't control.
Wawa public relations manager Lori Bruce said there will be no comment on pending lawsuits or "employee-specific situations" but that the company supports and celebrates its diverse employees and customers.
(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)