Kickback Jack's to Pay Over $1.1M for Refusing to Hire Men

EEOC rules restaurant chain violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating against male applicants for front-of-house positions.

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has ruled that Kickback Jack's restaurants in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia must pay over $1.1 million for a sex discrimination lawsuit. The EEOC alleges the company refused to hire male applicants for front-of-house positions, including servers, bartenders, and host/hostess roles, since December 2019.

Why it matters

This case highlights the importance of fair and equitable hiring practices, as required by federal law. The EEOC's ruling sends a strong message that discrimination based on sex will not be tolerated in the workplace.

The details

Between December 2019 and February 2022, more than 2,100 people worked in front-of-house roles at 19 Kickback Jack's restaurants, yet only about 3% were male, with some locations hiring no men at all. The EEOC argues there was no legitimate business justification for this hiring pattern and that the company also violated recordkeeping regulations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

  • The EEOC filed the lawsuit on September 25, 2024.
  • The alleged discrimination occurred between December 1, 2019, and February 18, 2022.

The players

EEOC

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency responsible for enforcing laws against workplace discrimination.

Kickback Jack's

A restaurant chain with locations in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Battleground Restaurants, Inc.

The company that owns and operates Kickback Jack's restaurants.

Andrea Lucas

The Chair of the EEOC.

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What they’re saying

“Hiring must be based on merit—not sex—as Title VII requires.”

— Andrea Lucas, EEOC Chair

What’s next

Kickback Jack's is required to adopt policies prohibiting discrimination based on sex, revise hiring procedures, offer interviews to any qualified applicant for an open position, and include images of male servers in promotional materials. The chain must also provide annual training covering Title VII's prohibitions against sex discrimination and send periodic reports to the EEOC regarding its hiring practices.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of fair and equitable hiring practices in the restaurant industry and serves as a reminder that discrimination based on sex will not be tolerated. The EEOC's ruling and the significant financial penalty imposed on Kickback Jack's send a strong message to employers about the consequences of violating federal anti-discrimination laws.