DETROIT (WWJ) - Founders Brewery is closing its Detroit location temporarily following allegations of racial discrimination.
Founders has been losing business after a deposition was made public this week in a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a fired employee.
Founders President Dave Engbers says the taproom, on Charlotte Street off Cass Avenue, will remain closed Friday until at least Tuesday due to what he calls a "tense situation."
"This is a highly emotional issue and so I can't speak exactly to threats, but there's some tension down there," Engbers told WWJ's Sandra McNeill. "What we do should be a celebration of life and right now I think there's a lot of tension in the air and we want to make sure that we take care of our employees first and foremost. ... We thought that we should just take a little break."
The manager at the center of controversial remarks has been asked to take time off. The remarks came during a deposition in a racial discrimination lawsuit filed last October by former employee Tracy Evans, who alleged he was fired after making complaints about the company mishandling multiple racist incidents.
The deposition, which was made public this week, shows Founders Brewing Company’s Detroit general manager Dominic Ryan was quoted as saying he couldn't say whether Evans, who he worked closely with, or even if ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick or former President Barack Obama were black.
"I think Dominic was kind of told to not answer anything that he wasn't absolutely sure and I believe he thought he was kind of getting baited and put into a corner," said Engbers. "I think his point was he didn't want to make any assumptions about anyone's background."
Ryan is still employed by the brewer but has been removed from his position and asked to take a leave from work.
"The landscape of the Detroit location, it's not a good place for him to be right now," said Engbers. "He doesn't have any role at this point."
As for other allegations, Engbers said Evans' claims that the N-word was used in the workplace are true, but the situation was taken care of with discussion and more training.
"The employee was not fired. HR talked to the employee... and we looked at this as a teachable moment," he said. "We believe that people aren't perfect but people can get better. We believe people can continue to grow."
Despite the taproom's closure, employees are still expected to get paid for their scheduled shifts.