This Cook Was Fired For Speaking A Different Language — This Is Not Okay

If you’ve been keeping up with the world of restaurant news, you may remember Francisca Pérez, a Sacramento-based cook who was fired last May for speaking Spanish at work. Up until that point, Pérez had been working at a high-end restaurant for more than a decade. Not surprisingly, the entire situation caused quite the buzz last year. And this week, less than a year later, Pérez made a move to fight back.

Allegedly, here’s what happened: Janet Ruelas-Nava, a new waitress at the time, asked Pérez a question in Spanish. Ruelas-Nava wanted to know if a dish was finished and ready to be served.

The restaurant owner, Leonardo Fasulo, overhead the exchange. According to an article on The Sacramento Bee, Fasulo then demanded that Pérez learn English if she wanted to keep working there. He also “mockingly asked if she wanted him to add burritos to the menu,” stated The Sacramento Bee.

Pérez also reported that Fasulo added, “This is America. We speak English here,” reports NBC News.

For 11 years, Pérez was a cook at Osteria Fasulo, a high-end Italian restaurant in Davis, just west of Sacramento. She also told NBC News that her relationship with her boss was not always like this.

Fortunately, the Center for Workers’ Rights in Sacramento is helping Pérez fight back. This week, the Center filed a complaint on her behalf to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing in California.

As you can imagine, folks on social media have some thoughts about the incident:

Being bi-lingual should be an asset to any hospitality business. Period!

— Terrell Williams (@Fiddler4you) January 18, 2019

"California law prohibits any workplace discrimination based on a worker's native language or accent unless an employer can show a business necessity for such a policy."- Unless your native language is English, of course. That said..I hope she wins her suit.

— ֍ Rachel 🇺🇸🇦🇲☦️ (@RaychelTania) January 18, 2019

Business owners can set any policy that is not illegal. Did she know that ahead of time? She should have got a warning unless she had had several warnings before.

— HILLAND ALAN (@oakhill45) January 18, 2019

Ugly stuff. So many bad bosses think they can abuse people and get away with it. Good for Francisca Perez for standing up. We need a movement to expose and depose monster bosses in general. Who has a story to tell? https://t.co/HTK6wyVHK6

— gil duran is on bluesky (@gilduran76) January 14, 2019

The Center for Workers’ Rights, an organization that advocates for low-wage workers, is helping Pérez with legal services.

Here’s to hoping Pérez finds justice.