Leny Cepeda, et al. vs. Sweet Fish Sushi Bar, Inc., a California Corporation

Leny Cepeda, Lizette Coronado, and Marcel Tillman resided in Los Angeles, California, during their employment at Sweet Fish Sushi Bar, Inc., a California corporation. Coronado began working as a server in April 2016 and was later promoted to a junior management role. Cepeda started as a busboy in April 2017 and was also promoted to a junior management position within a month. Tillman joined in June 2017 as a server. All three consistently performed their duties well. During Cepeda's employment, he earned $10 per hour initially, which increased to $15 per hour in July 2017. He worked full-time but was denied meal and rest breaks required by law. In June 2017, the restaurant’s owner, Alfred Watson, expressed a discriminatory preference for hiring young Asian women, objecting to Tillman’s employment. Despite Cepeda's defense of Tillman, Watson insisted on his removal. In June 2017, Tillman was abruptly terminated without explanation after being told to attend a meeting