Three former waiters at New York's posh 21 Club, where a hamburger costs $30, have filed a $5 million discrimination lawsuit saying they were fired for being French.

In a civil suit made public on Monday at Manhattan Supreme Court, the three men, Rene Bordet, 68, Jean Claude Lesbre, 63 and Yves Thepault, 68, said the restaurant's management falsely accused them of drinking wine on the job and "created and fostered an environment rife with anti-French sentiment."

Both Bordet and Lesbre worked for 10 years as waiters and floor captains before being fired in 2004 after accusations of drinking on the job. Thepault, who worked for 14 years as a waiter, was fired in 2005 for gross insubordination after an argument with a chef over a hamburger, court papers said.

The suit accused 21 Club of engaging in "a concerted and egregious course of action to rid (the restaurant) of its older and long-term employees of French national origin."

Bordet and Lesbre deny they were drinking alcohol and said when another employee was caught drinking on the job, on four occasions, he was only given a one-week suspension.

"(He was) not of French national origin, but is Hungarian," the lawsuit said.

21 Club spokeswoman Diana Biederman declined to discuss the case, but said the business was an equal opportunity employer which does not discriminate against employees.

One of Manhattan's most expensive restaurants, the 21 is housed in a four-story townhouse and is a popular haunt of politicians, business leaders and celebrities. It operated as a speak-easy during prohibition years when alcohol was illegal.

The suit also said that management of the restaurant "made fun of Bordet's French accent" and "expressed glee" that "President Bush hated the French."

Relations between Washington and Paris became strained in the run up to the war in Iraq, with some restaurants changing the name of French fries to "freedom fries."

The three men are seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay and $5 million in damages.


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err, anyone took a look at their ages?!

risking being politically incorrect, maybe they were fired cos the bread started growing mould by the time in reached the diners!

Take a look at em, theyre ANCIENT!

If they were fired due to their ages they would still have a lawsuit due to the fact that there are anti-age descrimination laws also and if a person who's in his 60's can still do they're job they should be allowed to especially considering most people in their 60's cant retire cause the money they would collect in social security isnt enough to live off of.

thats a big IF IceMyst. i work at the Hilton as a part time waiter and i tell u, 'happy hour' has a whole new meaning when ur clientel spend at least a thousand bucks on a 'power-dinner/lunch'.

apart from being accused of drinking on the job, you cant honestly expect a bunch of aging geriatrics to be able to cope with the flow of [q]posh 21 Club[/q], can you?
waitering isnt just taking out food and taking orders, its about knowing exactly whats happening with all tables at all times to ensure customers arent calling in your supervisor...
and believe me, the rich type love to [censored]

im not trying to make waitering seem like the next rival to rocket-science. Rather, im just saying it helps if you're younger. (both mentally and physically)

i remember reading a thread a while back (iv searched the boards for it, but alas, to no avail) where we were talking about old people being allowed to drive on the roads. the general feeling among the group was either to ban people over 60 from the roads or force them to re-take their tests every year.

same should apply to certain jobs. stressful, physical jobs SHOULD hold the same standards as above. not only for the general public, but for the safety of our elderly.

in closing, NO im not anti-old people. i just feel that once you reach a certain age, certain jobs /activities should be considered before embarking on/continuing.