Trans Man Sues Chili’s in Chicago Suburb After Being Fired Over “Personal Values And Lifestyle”
Hudson Webber was qualified to be assistant manager, and was only terminated after management became aware of their gender identity and expression.
Featured Image: Chili’s restaurant (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Hudson Webber, a transgender man and former assistant manager at a Chili’s Grill & Bar in Rosement, IL, is suing the company after being “unlawfully terminated because of their sex and gender identity on May 12, 2025.” According to that complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Webber was “explicitly” told by Store Manager, Martin Perez, that they were being fired because their “personal values and lifestyle values” did not align with the restaurant.
Webber was told that the decision, which was final, was made jointly by Perez and the Regional Manager. Webber was also told that another employee at a different location “would be terminated for the same reasons, further demonstrating a pattern of discriminatory decision-making.”
According to the complaint against Brinker International, Inc. d/b/a Chili’s Grill & Bar, Webber was not asked about their sexuality or identity at the time of hiring – nor did they disclose such information during the hiring process. The decision to terminate Webber was made only after management became aware of their gender identity and expression. In fact, not only was Webber qualified for their position as assistant manager, they met or exceeded performance expectations.
Related: A Man Mistook Her For Being Trans In A Walmart Bathroom—Then She Got Fired
The complaint states that the Defendant’s “conduct was intentional, discriminatory, and in reckless disregard of Plaintiff’s protected rights;” and that as a result of the Defendant’s actions, Webber suffered, and continues to suffer, loss of employment, loss of income, emotional distress, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
This isn’t the first gender identity-related complaint brought against the food chain. In 2019, Meagan Hunter, an employee at a Chili’s in Phoenix, applied to a new training program to become a manager. After wearing a button-up shirt, pants and boat shoes to a seminar to learn more about the program, according to the ACLU, she was told that the district manager had found her to be “inappropriately dressed” and that she needed to “dress more gender appropriate.” Hunter was also told she couldn’t wear a certain chef-style coat because “it’s for boys.”
Image: Meagan Hunter, courtesy of ACLU, also alleged gender-related mistreatment at a Chili’s
“I didn’t look the part, so I was forced to quit,” Hunter said in commentary she wrote for the ACLU. “I was planning to buy a home for the first time, and the pay increase would have helped a lot. I’m a single mother, so what I earn matters. I’m also a lesbian, a part of my identity that influences how I dress.”
“I am speaking out now to tell that manager — and every other person who thinks similarly — that women do not need to be stereotypically feminine in order to get a promotion or be an effective employee or manager.”
With an assist from the ACLU of Arizona, Hunter filed a complaint with the EEOC. “The EEOC charge ultimately was resolved to the satisfaction of both parties,” according to Ricardo Mimbela, Communications Strategist with the ACLU.
