Pizzeria Fined $25,000 For Discrimination In Western New York

An award-winning pizzeria has to pay a large fine for their treatment of a former worker. 

Near Niawanda Park, T.C. Wheelers Bar and Pizzeria is a local hotspot. This is especially true when people are out for summer walks and want some food. Like many around Western New York, they offer a wide range of specialty pizzas, wings, subs, and tacos. For those from outside the area, tacos can raise some eyebrows, but it’s a pretty common menu item at pizzerias in the region. They also feature unique gluten-free crusts, like broccoli and cauliflower.  

Now, according to reports, the popular pizzeria and bar is having to pay a large fine. 

According to CourtListener.com, T.C. Wheelers Bar and Pizzeria has been ordered to pay a transgender former employee $25,000 and complete anti-discrimination training after reaching a settlement, which you can see here.

As seen in the documentation above, the restaurant was accused of violating federal law after anti-trans harassment. 

The defendant, publicly named in court records as Quinn Gambino, identifies as a transgender man. He claims to have endured ongoing harassment until he handed in his resignation. 

According to the lawsuit, the managers and employees at T.C. Wheelers, “made intentional, frequent, and repeated unwelcome and offensive remarks to Gambino about his transgender status.” These include questions like, “asking a subordinate about Gambino’s genitalia… and telling Quinn that he wasn’t ‘a real man.'”

You can see the full list of accusations in the court transcript here.

According to Gay City News, at the end of January, the court ruled in Gambino’s favor. He was awarded a “three-year decree stipulating that T.C. Wheelers must give Gambino $25,000 in back pay and compensatory damages and enforce equal employment policies with a commitment to preventing such harassment in the future.” Read more here.

The report also claims that as a result of this lawsuit, T.C. Wheelers has reportedly hired an independent human resource monitor to oversee complaints in employees, and everyone (owners, managers, and employees) will undergo training on federal anti-discrimination law and report back to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.