A Panera Bread franchisee based in Warren Ohio is facing two workplace discrimination lawsuits. The two racial bias lawsuits have been filed within the past three months. Earlier this month, a 21-year-old man filed the second of the two suits, alleging that the restaurant franchisee, that operates Panera Bread and O'Charley's restaurants in Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, systematically has kept African-American workers in the back room.

The black worker says that the employer only offered front of house duties to workers the employer says are not "fat, black and ugly" according to the racial discrimination lawsuit.

The man bringing the claim worked at one of the company's locations from 2009 to 2011. He says in his discrimination lawsuit that he was repeated assigned to work in the backrooms when the restaurant owner was present, or when the manager thought the restaurant owner may show up at the store.

The man claims that African American employees and other specified workers were to be systematically kept in positions that would not have any contact with customers.

A different former worker at the same location, which is outside of Ohio, filed suit against the same company last November. The initial workplace discrimination suit is a retaliation case. The plaintiff says that he worked at the restaurant as an assistant and general manager between 2007 and 2011. The retaliatory discharge lawsuit alleges that the former worker was fired after complaining about racial discrimination at the restaurant.

A spokesman for the company operating the individual restaurant in the lawsuit denies that any discriminatory practices occurred at the restaurant. A spokeswoman for Panera Bread says the company holds franchisees to high standards, has a zero tolerance for discrimination and says Panera is taking the recent matters seriously.

Source: ABC News, "Panera Franchisee Served With Second Racial Bias Suit," Susanna Kim, Jan. 13, 2012