Sam Covelli, the owner of several Panera Bread stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Kentucky and West Virginia, has agreed to pay more than $76,000 to settle a race discrimination lawsuit that was filed by some of his current and former black employees.

Employee Guy Vines claims that he was denied promotions and forced to work in the kitchen because Sam Covelli allegedly didn’t want black employees in areas where the public was served.

Pennsylvania attorney Samuel J. Cordes represented Vines in his race discrimination lawsuit against Panera Bread franchisee Covelli Enterprises.

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