Sexual Harrassment in Hiring Policies at Lucky Devils in Hollywood?

I was floored when I read this blogpost by Isn't she lovely, this Hollywood girl. I was referred to the post via my friend Tony at Sinosoul, in the midst of his pan of the Lucky Devil burger.

This whole conversation makes me bristle with neck hair standing on end. If I were younger, I would consider throwing a chair across the room. My anger was much more apparent when I lived in Doc Martens.

"I go in, fill out all the paperwork and the dude keeps staring at me, talking to another server and let's me sit there forever. He finally sits down with me, looks over my paperwork, asks me if i have any questions (which I did about parking and he says "street, figure it out, ask around".) He still staring at me then he starts talking how the restaurant is a place with open communication regarding safety issues, sexual harassment, etc. Then he starts saying how the restaurant has a certain look that they're going for and says he doesn't think my hairstyle goes with the look because he says it looks like I just rolled out of bed & if I can change it (for the record, another server walked in with her hair in almost the same style as mine). So I pull it down into a regular ponytail. That's when things start to get uncomfortable and weird. He asks me if I can go to the restroom and put on some makeup. I say I already have makeup on, that I don't wear a lot to begin with and that I can't wear eye makeup at the moment until my eyes heal. Then he gets up, goes back to talking to the other server, is gone for like another 5 minutes, then he sits back down with me (I'm already thinking "wtf?" and I'm close to saying I'm feeling rather uncomfortable & bailing).

When he sits back down, he tells me that "we" have a problem. He said that I looked different than when I came in for my interview because then I look put together and wholesome and now I don't (um, I don't look wholesome now, yet you want me to go to the restroom & put on enough makeup to look like a whore? confused much? I know I was was). I ask if I possibly look different because the glasses and he says it's not the glasses, but asks if it's necessary that I wear them. (no, douche, they're the fake trendy ones from like 1989...of course, they're real, you idiot...and they're PRADA!). Now here's the best part, he looks me up and down when he says I look and hints that I'm heavier than when I interviewed (he's staring at my midsection). Then he tells me "well you can either come back tomorrow and try again or we can be done here". I'm so shocked & so appalled that I'm absolutely speechless. I can't even make the words come out of my mouth & trust me they were in my head (like: "I think we're done here because you're making me severely uncomfortable" "do you realize how ILLEGAL the shit spewing from your mouth is" "Are you fucking serious?"). So I say nothing because i physically can't & he says "well you're not saying anything so we're done here. get out" . I say "yeah, i guess we are" and I leave."

Wow. Just wow. I remember being young and unable to verbalize when my rights were challenged or I was being taken advantage of. The funny thing is, as one gets older and able to stand up for themselves more confidently the need to do so begins to evaporate. Also surprising is the fact that Hollywood Girl has contacted two law firms and neither jumped to take the case.

Well, Hollywood Girl, I will not be eating at Lucky Devils. Not this weekend and not ever. No one deserves this kind of treatment.

Psst: I don't eat anywhere Tony tells me not to anyway, but this time I am taking a stand for Hollywood Girl. :-p