Unemployment is affecting the lives of many people around the world, but it's not often that you hear about one's choice in footwear being the reason they're out of work. That's allegedly the case for a man who was recently fired from New York restaurant Jue Lan Club.
According to NY Daily News, a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court by Admir Cuturic alleges that the owner of Jue Lan Club, Naomi Ram, fired him after he refused to wear Air Jordans as part of his uniform. Cuturic supported his claim with text message exchanges he had with Ram following her decision to make Jordans a mandatory part of the uniform in late 2019. An employee since 2016, Cuturic says he couldn't wear the shoes because of an ankle injury previously suffered in a car accident.
“Wear it or don’t come to work," Ram texted back according to the suit. "Further more cut the bullsh*t. Its basketball sneakers. Not high heels."
The exchange continued.
“Thank you so much for u understanding my problem” Cuturic wrote back with a sarcastic tone.
“Pick up your things today...don’t ever disrespect me," Ram texted back.
Cuturic claims that the ankle injury is a protected disability in the suit. Additionally, he's seeking class action status due to improper distribution of tips and overtime pay.
Jue Lan Club is a high-end Chinese restaurant in New York City's Flatiron District. The multi-level, 275 seat establishment is known to attract A-list celebrities and athletes. It's not the only restaurant that has made Jordans part of the staff uniform—in 2015, First We Feastran a story about Dirty French, a downtown New York restaurant that actually assembled and maintained a collection of Jordans for its servers to wear on the job, albeit in a less combative way.
