A Manhattan woman is suing Chipotle Mexican Grill saying she was callously fired by bosses at the fast food chain after being choked and pummeled by her ex-boyfriend and then having to miss work due to her injuries.
Natasha Velez socked Chipotle with the Manhattan federal court civil-rights suit, alleging she was fired last year from her food-preparer job at an Upper East Side branch on Third Avenue four weeks after returning to work following the alleged domestic violence attack.
The suit claims that her ex-boyfriend — who isn’t named — choked her and fractured her left index finger during a confrontation on New Year’s Day 2013.
Days later, she showed her bosses the police report for the incident and other related paperwork. The suit also says she showed them her injured finger in a splint and informed them she couldn’t work until it healed.
When she returned on Jan. 28, 2013, her manager said she had “too many issues outside work” and fired her on the spot, according to the suit.
“Chipotle discriminated against Ms. Velez on the basis of her actual and/or perceived status as a domestic violence victim, including by terminating her employment,” the suit says.
Velez’s lawyer and Chipotle did not immediately return messages.