According to Betsy Herzog, Director of Communications for the Commission, the restaurant could face up to $250,000 in penalties if the claims of religious discrimination are found to be true.
The complaint was filed by Zhenyu Sun, who says that on June 2 Lucky Joy Restaurant refused to serve her, a friend, and her eight-year-old daughter because they practice Falun Gong, a peaceful spiritual practice banned in China. Sun says the three were then “kicked out” of the restaurant by employees.
“Two servers came over [to us] and they said ‘Oh, you are Falun Gong—we don’t want to sell anything to Falun Gong,” said Sun.
Sun, a biologist from Connecticut, was accompanied by a friend wearing a bright yellow Falun Gong t-shirt with writing in Chinese and English.
When Sun asked why, the employees answered that it was their boss’s policy and refused to give further answers.
