FRESNO, California (AP) - Three former Hispanic employees are suing Target Corp., the second-largest U.S. discount chain, for discrimination and retaliation, citing a training document reminding managers that not all Hispanics eat tacos and burritos, dance to salsa or wear sombreros.
The lawsuit, filed June 24 in California, alleges that Caucasian managers at a warehouse regularly used racial slurs when addressing Hispanic workers. The lawsuit also said workers who complained about the conditions at the distribution center were fired.
Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder wouldn't comment on the lawsuit because the company has not yet been served with the complaint, but she said the U.S.-based company was sorry for the content of the document. She says it was not part of any "formal or company-wide training" and was used only at one distribution center.
She said the company doesn't "tolerate or condone discrimination in any form" and has policies and procedures in place to prevent unfair treatment.
"The content of the document referenced is not representative of who Target is," Snyder said. "We take accountability for its contents and are truly sorry."
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press