In response to the $28m suit brought by Arab-American men who claimed they were denied service on the basis of their race at a Denny's restaurant in Florida (see previous post on the issue), the CEO and president of Denny's has issued a statement that reads in part:

We take claims of discrimination very seriously at Denny's. We long ago adopted a Zero Tolerance approach to such incidents. If we find that any allegation of discrimination has merit, we take swift and forceful action....

In the case of the lawsuit brought against our franchisee in Florida, the allegations have been found to be baseless.

In accordance with our strict approach to claims of this type, we commissioned an immediate and thorough investigation by an independent, outside agency with experience investigating such allegations for the United States Department of Justice. That investigation found no evidence whatsoever to support these allegations. The facts proved no deterrent to plaintiffs who perceived an opportunity for financial gain.

As a result, we intend to aggressively challenge the accusations. We are confident when all of the facts are presented that Denny's will be vindicated.