Fort Worth's La Familia Sued By Former Employees

Of all the restaurant co-owners one might suspect of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Al Cavazos and daughter Lanette are the last. So opens Anthony Mariani's piece over at FW Weekly on the current lawsuit against the longtime Cavazos venture La Familia Mexican Restaurant.

The suit, filed in December via the Fort Worth court system (though originally filed in Tarrant County District Court, the suit has been moved to federal at the request of the Cavasoses), alleges that not only were plaintiffs denied their complete paychecks, but they were also "regularly, even daily, cursed at, psychologically humiliated, and, in some cases, even threatened [and] physically abused."

As Mariani mentions, one of the three plaintiffs worked for the restaurant for approximately 20 years before his termination, which is described as abrupt. Another plaintiff, 15 years.

The suit also mentions specific threats said to have been made by Al Cavazos as well as alleged violence during Lanette's management, as detailed in the FW Weekly piece:

"If you f--k with my restaurant or my livelihood, I will kill you." The court filing also alleges that Lanette Cavazos sometimes managed the restaurant "in a severely intoxicated state and on one or more occasions brandished a firearm and waved it around the restaurant in the direction of various employees."

The Cavasoses have denied all allegations by filing an official response. All media inquiries are now being funneled through the Cavasos family's legal representative.

· La Familia Sued By Ex-Employees [FW Weekly]
· La Familia [Official]
· All Lawsuit Coverage on Eater Dallas [-EDFW-]

[Photo: La Familia/Official]