Settlement Reached in Frank & Dino’s Discrimination Lawsuit

Lexington, Ky — A notable Lexington Italian eatery, Frank & Dino’s, has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by a former employee alleging age, weight, and appearance discrimination, the Herald-Leader’s Taylor Six reports.

The former employee, Scarlett Tracey, claimed in the lawsuit filed last September that she was fired for her physical appearance. Tracey stated that Carlo Vaccarezza, the owner of the restaurant, made several derogatory comments about her looks.

Frank & Dino’s, which is owned by Post Time LLC, disputed the accusations. Vaccarezza contended that Tracey was dismissed due to her “poor work performance.”

The terms of the settlement have remained confidential, and both parties were ordered to cover their respective court fees and costs.

In the lawsuit, Tracey alleged that she heard derogatory comments about her from Vaccarezza, including him asking if they were “hiring bartenders by the pound now” and calling her “fat and ugly.” It was also stated that Vaccarezza wanted Tracey fired due to her looks.

Despite these allegations, the restaurant maintained that Tracey was dismissed for her work performance, citing tardiness, lack of proficiency as a bartender, inability to prepare specialty drinks, and suspicion of drug use. Tracey and her attorney denied these allegations and said there was no documentation to back these claims.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found reasonable cause to believe that the restaurant violated non-discrimination laws. This followed affidavits from two of Tracey’s former supervisors and a manager supporting her claims.

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Photo: Frank and Dino’s at 271 West Short Street in Downtown Lexington. (Google)