McDonald's sued by Black franchisee alleging racial discrimination

The Black owner of 14 McDonald's franchises says the company favors White owners and denied him the chance to buy restaurants in more affluent communities, according to a civil rights lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Ohio.

The suit, filed by former professional baseball player Herbert Washington, alleges that the Chicago-based fast-food chain discriminated against him, leading to a $700,000 sales gap between Black- and White-owned McDonald's franchises.

Franchises in low-income neighborhoods cost more to operate, have higher employee turnover and are not as profitable, alleges Washington, a former Michigan State University track star who played for parts of two seasons with the Oakland Athletics in the mid-1970s. 

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