Former Wawa worker alleges racially hostile environment

READING, Pa. – A former Wawa convenience store employee is alleging in a federal lawsuit that a manager told him “you Spanish people really like your vacation” and that “we aren’t paying you to speak Puerto Rican.”

Philadelphia magazine (http://bit.ly/2v6XMqW ) reported Wednesday that Juan Piniero, a former fresh food manager at a Reading-area store, alleges that the company wrongly terminated him, fostered a racially hostile work environment and violated the state Human Relations Act.

Piniero says he was terminated early last year, about a month after being injured at work. He says a general manager blamed him for problems he couldn’t control.

Wawa public relations manager Lori Bruce said there will be no comment on pending lawsuits or “employee-specific situations” but that the company supports and celebrates its diverse employees and customers.