Chick-fil-A franchisee sued over alleged religious discrimination
The worker, who is a member of the United Church of God, alleges the company told her she could have Saturdays off if she accepted a pay cut.
www.wsbradio.comHere’s what I can share right now about the Hatch Trick Chick-fil-A lawsuit.
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Core update: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against Hatch Trick, Inc., the Chick-fil-A franchisee operating in the Austin, Texas area, alleging failure to reasonably accommodate a employee’s Sabbatarian religious observance on Saturdays and resulting adverse employment action. This is the most direct recent development connecting Hatch Trick and a Chick-fil-A location to a civil rights complaint [source coverage from May 14–15, 2026, across multiple outlets including CBS-affiliated and local outlets; see reports in Texas and Georgia-focused outlets and national wires].[3][5][6]
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Why it matters: The EEOC contends the franchise initially approved the employee’s request to avoid Saturday shifts but later required Saturday work and ultimately terminated or disciplined the employee in a way that violated federal anti-discrimination laws related to religious accommodation. The case is proceeding in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division.[5][3]
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Related context: Several outlets highlight Hatch Trick’s operations across multiple Chick-fil-A locations in the Austin area and frame this as a religious accommodation dispute under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Coverage often notes the EEOC’s pre-litigation conciliation efforts and the employer’s alleged change in scheduling practices after the accommodation was initially granted.[3][5]
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Broader landscape: The story aligns with ongoing federal enforcement actions targeting alleged religious discrimination in retail and food-service workplaces, especially around accommodations for Sabbath observance and similar practices. While Chick-fil-A as a company is not always a defendant in every related case, Hatch Trick operates Chick-fil-A outlets and is the named entity in this particular suit.[6][3]
Would you like me to pull the latest court filings or wire updates from a specific outlet (e.g., local Texas outlets, national wires, or a particular date), and summarize any new filings or docket activity? I can also provide a concise timeline of events as they’re reported.