They’re going on the Big Mac attack.
McDonald’s moved Friday to have a lawsuit by Black former franchisees dismissed, Reuters reported.
The 52 ex-franchisees sued the fast food giant in late August, saying that McDonald’s had given them less-desirable locations that required higher rent and security costs and had fewer customers than stores owned by white franchisees.
McDonald’s hit back Friday, according to the Wall Street Journal, saying that segregation wouldn’t make sense from a business perspective.
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Attorney for McDonald’s and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the lawsuit “is based on the illogical theory that McDonald’s went into business with Black franchisees for the sole purpose of seeing them fail,” CNBC reported.
McDonald’s also said many of the claims were vague and outside the statue of limitations, according to the Journal. Plaintiffs attorneys said all the owners lost their businesses within the four-year statue.
The Black franchisees’ complaint accuses the fast-food giant of misleading Black operators, denying them growth opportunities and the chance of buying more profitable stores, retaliating against them and eventually forcing them out.
The ex-owners, who ran more than 200 stores, are seeking $4 million to $5 million in damages per store.
Two Black women McDonald’s corporate executives sued the company earlier this year, accusing the company of racial discrimination at the highest levels.