Court Orders Restaurant Company to Allow Worker to Wear Face Covering

A woman who works at Dallas’ R+D Kitchen will be allowed to wear a face covering at work, following a ruling by a Dallas County district court.

California-based Hillstone, which operates R+D Kitchen and more than 40 other restaurants in 12 states, had forbidden the employee, who goes by “Jane Doe” in court filings, from wearing a face covering on the job and refused to provide her any hours to work unless she agreed to work without one.

That’s despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and an April 23 order – backed up by another this month – from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins requiring workers at businesses that re-open to wear face coverings.

But Dallas County Judge Tonya Parker granted Ms. Doe’s application for a temporary restraining order mandating that Hillstone require or at least permit Ms. Doe to wear a face covering at work, and that the restaurant not retaliate against her.

Her lawyers argue Hillstone has in effect fired Jane Doe by refusing to give her any hourly work until or unless she follows the company’s no face-covering policy.

The temporary restraining order will remain in place for 14 days. The case is Jane Doe v. Hillstone Restaurant Group, Inc., Cause No. DC-20-06494 in the 116^th Judicial District Court in Dallas County. Following the TRO decision, defendants in the case removed it to federal court.