WASHINGTON -- Six black Secret Service agents filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Denny's restaurant chain, saying its restaurant in Annapolis, Md., refused to serve them breakfast while feeding 15 other agents.
Denny's said Monday it fired the restaurant manager for 'failure to report a complaint of alleged discrimination involving customer service. '
The restaurant chain did not say when the manager, identified in the lawsuit as D.L. Nasser, was fired. The chain said senior management began an on-site investigation when it received the complaint, which led to the manager's termination.
The six black Secret Service agents were among 21 agents who met at a Denney's restaurant, where they were sent to protect President Clinton April 1 during an appearance before the American Society of Newspaper Editors at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Their lawyer said the agents are good enough to protect the president, but 'not good enough to get a plate of eggs.'
Agent Alfonso Dyson said he was 'stunned and surprised' to encounter discrimination at the restaurant chain.
The U.S. District Court suit filed in Maryland names Denny's as well as its holding company, TW Services Inc. of Baltimore, and its holding company, Denny's Holdings Inc. The suit, however, does not name the restaurant where the alleged discrimination took place nor members of its staff as defendants.
The suit asks for an unspecified amount of damages and a permanent injunction ordering the restaurant to prevent future occurances.
John Relman of the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs said the omission of the individual restaurant was a legal decision.
Relman said the black agents placed their breakfast order at the same time as the 13 white and one Hispanic agents, but never received their food until they stood up to leave an hour later.
In the meantime, the non-black colleagues were served second helpings and a white family that arrive later also received their order, their lawyer said.
'These officers are elite enough group to stand shoulder to shoulder with the president of the United States, but apparently they were not good enough to get served a plate of eggs,' said Roderic Boggs, another lawyer.
Relman said the suit was ironic because Denny's signed a consent decree that same day with the Justice Department to end discriminatory practices. Denny's acknowledged it denied service to black people in California.
A class action suit has been filed on behalf of 32 black California customers in federal court in San Jose. That suit alleges black customers were required to pay a cover charge before being seated, denied the free birthday meal given white customers and were threatened or forcibly removed.
At a news conference announcing the suit, the six black agents said they sat together at one booth and their colleagues were nearby. They said the restaurant was not full and denied a Denny's allegation that the alleged racial slight was only due to 'poor service.'
Relman said the Secret Service was aware of the agents' lawsuit, but declined to specify how much support, if any, the agency was providing.
Officer Leroy Snyder denied there was segregation within the ranks. He said the six black officers sat together because they rode to Annapolis in the same van. They were in uniform as part of a group that operates a metal detector during a security screening.
In a statement issued after the agents' new conference, Denny's said its initial findings point to a problem of slow service and not racial bias.
But the company said it sought an independent third-party, 'such as a respected civil rights organization, to help investigate the incident. ''The company is committed to the investigation and elimination of any possible racial discrimination,' the release said.
'We are very upset over any hint of discrimination and are committed to investigating fully. A toll-free number is posted in every Denny's restaurant inviting guests to call our headquarters on any issue that is not satisfactorily resolved by local management,' the company said.
