NYC restaurant owner fires server for not wearing Air Jordans: report

Admir Cuturic alleges that the club owner discriminated against him for having a foot injury that prohibited him from wearing the sneaker at work

One restaurant employee learned that lesson the hard way after being fired for refusing to don a pair of Air Jordans as part of his uniform.

Biba Adams

May 1, 2020

Air Jordan theGrio.com — Celebrates 100 Years on New York Stock Exchange event at 4 World Trade Center on April 23, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images)

Sneakerheads take their shoes very seriously. One restaurant employee learned that lesson the hard way after being fired for refusing to don a pair of Air Jordans as part of his uniform.

Restaurant server Admir Cuturic alleges that Naomi Ram, the owner of Jue Lan Club fired him in late 2019. He filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Federal Court for discrimination.

In the suit, Cuturic said that he exchanged messages with Ram after she decided to make Jordans a part of the uniform.

According to NY Daily News, a lawsuit showed that the text message exchange was intense.

“Wear it or don’t come to work,” Ram texted back according to the suit. “Furthermore cut the bullsh*t. Its basketball sneakers. Not high heels.”

“Thank you so much for u understanding my problem,” Cuturic wrote back with a sarcastic tone.

“Pick up your things today…don’t ever disrespect me,” Ram texted back.

Cuturic alleges that he was unable to wear the sneakers due to an ankle injury after a car accident. He further notes that the injury is a protected disability. The man is seeking to make the suit a class-action suit on behalf of his coworkers alleging improper distribution of tips and overtime pay.

The Jue Lan Club is a high-end Chinese restaurant which is known to attract A-list celebrities and athletes, perhaps providing some reasoning why the restaurant chose to add the high-end sneakers to its staff’s uniform.

The Air Jordan brand of basketball shoes was created for six-time NBA Finals MVP Michael Jordan in 1984. The notable brand is coveted in the sneaker community for its frequent re-releases and limited offerings.

A new documentary on the iconic basketball star recently debuted on ESPN. According to Variety, The Last Dance, has recorded huge ratings for the network, averaging more than 6 million viewers over the first two nights.