Lawsuit: Chick-fil-A Franchisee Discriminated Against Worker over Sabbath

A Chick-fil-A franchise operator in Austin, Texas, is accused of discriminating against an employee for her religious beliefs.

Hatch Trick, Inc., operates several of the restaurants in that area and is facing a federal lawsuit regarding the now former employee, identified as Laurel Torode, Fox Business reported Monday.

She is a member of the United Church of God and observes the Sabbath on Saturday, and therefore does not work on that day.

The United Church of God’s (UCG) website says it observes the Sabbath on the “seventh day of the week.”

Torode explained her position during her initial interview for the managerial job, and at first the company accommodated her. However, it later changed course and required her to work on Saturdays.

She discussed alternatives with company officials so she could observe her Sabbath, but the company allegedly said she would have to accept a lower-level delivery driver position if she wanted to avoid working on Saturdays.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the complaint in the case and said, “When the employee declined to accept the driver position, the company discharged her, according to the lawsuit.”

Acting EEOC Dallas Regional Attorney Ronald L. Phillips said, “The duty under federal law to provide reasonable accommodation of religion reflects an acknowledgement 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. Just as adherence to the dictates of one’s own conscience is not optional, so too an employer’s duty under Title VII is obligatory, and the EEOC stands ready to enforce that legal duty.”

The Fox article noted Chick-fil-A is known for being closed on Sundays.

News of the lawsuit came after President Donald Trump in early 2025 announced he would be signing an executive order creating a task force to “eradicate anti-Christian bias” from the federal government, Breitbart News reported.

More recently, the outlet said, a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) report showed former President Joe Biden’s (D) “radical” administration worked to “punish” Christians living by their beliefs.