NEW YORK (AP) — A woman who wanted a job as a bikini-clad barmaid at New York City's Hawaiian Tropic Zone restaurant and bar says managers rejected her because she has a "Latin accent" and her speech is too "ghetto."
Melody Morales said in a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages that she approached managers 15 times for a job at the Manhattan eatery. She said they always denied there were openings even after other employees said there were.
The 22-year-old says she was born in Brooklyn to Dominican and Puerto Rican parents.
She said last year one manager told her, "I'm not going to ruin my business with your Latin accent." She said another told her, "You don't speak white," and, "You are ghetto."
Morales says she's "curvy" and looks "good in a bikini." She said she would've been "good for their business."
Hawaiian Tropic hasn't returned telephone calls seeking comment.
Melody Morales said in a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages that she approached managers 15 times for a job at the Manhattan eatery. She said they always denied there were openings even after other employees said there were.
The 22-year-old says she was born in Brooklyn to Dominican and Puerto Rican parents.
She said last year one manager told her, "I'm not going to ruin my business with your Latin accent." She said another told her, "You don't speak white," and, "You are ghetto."
Morales says she's "curvy" and looks "good in a bikini." She said she would've been "good for their business."
Hawaiian Tropic hasn't returned telephone calls seeking comment.
