McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski has been sued for racial discrimination after he fired the security chief who criticized him at a town hall meeting

Michael Peaster served as vice president of global safety, security, and intelligence until 2021, when he retired after 35 years with the company. McDonald’s claims it was due to performance issues, but Peaster says it was part of an effort to oust him after he dared to criticize Kempczinski at a town hall meeting.

Peaster, who is black, had spoken at the meeting called to discuss a text the CEO had sent to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot reflecting on two fatal shootings.

The caption read: “ps tragic shootings last week, both yesterday at our restaurant and with Adam Toldeo. In both cases the parents have abandoned the children, which I know cannot be said. Even harder to fix.”

When the words were released, it sparked a mass outcry, and Kempczinski was accused of racism and victim-blaming. He later responded to the backlash by saying his message “lacked the empathy and compassion” he really felt for the families who had lost loved ones.

According to the lawsuit, Peaster said at the town hall meeting, “We cannot broadly dismiss Chicago’s violence issues to make it seem like all parents who have child victims of gun violence are bad parents. We must have empathy and compassion for the majority of families living in difficult communities who work hard to care for and protect their families.”

Peaster’s words were followed by applause, according to the suit.

Excluded from the corporate jet

Peaster, who was in charge of Kempczinski’s bodyguard, claims he was discriminated against and hollowed out from that point on – right up to his sacking. According to the lawsuit, the CEO prevented him from flying on the company’s private jet, and Peaster was said to have made Kempczinksi “unsafe” during a trip to Mexico City and São Paulo.

McDonalds claims the schedule is wrong and that the allegations are false. In a statement, the company added: “Mr. Peaster was promoted in January 2022; However, he was subsequently terminated in his expanded role due to severe performance issues. To claim that his termination was due to retaliation or anything other than poor performance is to completely ignore the facts. We intend to vigorously defend ourselves against this lawsuit and continue to be at the forefront of our values.”

This isn’t the first time McDonald’s has faced similar allegations. Two black executives filed a discrimination lawsuit in January 2020, saying they suffered emotional distress, humiliation and physical suffering. In September 2020, 52 black former franchisees sought a $1 billion antidiscrimination lawsuit, which was dismissed by a judge but later amended and refiled.

McDonald’s is also being sued by media mogul Byron Allen for $10 billion after he alleges the company deliberately excluded African American-owned companies from its advertising campaigns.

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