Civil Rights Legal Complaint Lodged Against Texas Roadhouse

Texas Roadhouse just found itself in the crosshairs of the anti-DEI backlash — and this one could get ugly.

America First Legal (AFL), the conservative legal group founded by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, has filed a civil rights complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), accusing the restaurant chain of illegal discrimination in its hiring and promotion practices.

The charge? That Texas Roadhouse uses race and gender as factors for board appointments, tracks employees’ demographic data, and prioritizes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives over shareholder value — all of which AFL says violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“The evidence demonstrates that the Company’s hiring, promotion, and recruitment practices violate state and federal law,” the complaint reads. “The evidence also demonstrates that the Company has prioritized unlawful diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and policies over shareholder value.”

Texas Roadhouse doesn’t deny its commitment to DEI. In fact, in its 2024 10-K report, the company boasted that it strives to build a workforce that “mirrors the diversity of our guests,” even providing a demographic breakdown of its employees and managers.

Its sustainability report goes further, admitting that gender and race are among the factors considered when selecting board nominees — alongside experience and financial expertise. The company also highlights identity-focused initiatives like its Women’s Leadership Summit and African American Leadership Summit.

But to AFL, those initiatives are a legal landmine. In its complaint, the group argues that Texas Roadhouse is exposing itself to “reputational risk” and potential lawsuits by bowing to pressure from investors and the government to meet Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and DEI targets. “Texas Roadhouse’s policies are a relic of an era where DEI contaminated American culture with the false belief that good intentions make discrimination okay,” said AFL counsel Will Scolinos.

This isn’t an isolated strike. Since President Donald Trump returned to office and began signing executive orders banning “illegal DEI” in federal contracting, corporate America has been rapidly reassessing its approach. Disney, Paramount, and Facebook have scaled back or scrapped DEI programs.

Costco and Apple, meanwhile, are digging in their heels despite activist shareholder pressure. AFL also recently hit Cracker Barrel with a similar complaint, alleging that its employee “Business Resource Groups” illegally discriminate by restricting benefits to workers based on race or sex.