Zagara's Marketplace Accused Of Discriminatory Hiring

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Zagara’s Marketplace and President John Zagara are being accused of discriminatory hiring practices by a former employee.

Marcia Jacobs, the former human resources manager for Zagara’s, is suing her former employer. She claims John Zagara told her to hire fewer Black employees, specifically from Shaw High School in East Cleveland.

Zagara denied any wrongdoing in a statement sent to Patch.

In the lawsuit, Jacobs claims Zagara complained about having too many Black employees and said a woman should only be hired if she were “beyond the reach of child bearing years.” Jacobs said she was also criticized for hiring a transgender employee.

Jacobs further alleges that Zagara told her to hire students from Heights High and Shaker Heights High, instead of Shaw High. Zagara argued students at Shaw were less likely to have reliable rides to work, despite being slightly closer to the store than Shaker Heights High, the lawsuit says.

When the new coronavirus pandemic began, Jacobs was fired from her role at Zagara’s Marketplace. Jacobs believes she was fired because she refused to adhere to discriminatory hiring practices.

The lawsuit accuses Zagara of complaining frequently about Jacobs hiring too many Black employees and too many gay employees.

In a statement sent to Patch, Zagara denied any wrongdoing and said he and his company intend to fully defend themselves against this lawsuit. His statement, in full, is below.

We were disappointed that a lawsuit has been filed against Zagara’s Marketplace and me by a former employee, who was recently terminated for cause. While we cannot discuss specifics about a pending lawsuit, I can tell you that when we get allegations of any type of discrimination, we take those allegations seriously, investigate and take appropriate action if necessary. In this instance, the allegations in the complaint are untrue, and we intend to defend our actions fully and vigorously as the legal process unfolds.

We stand on our record of hiring fairly. We do not discriminate against employees or job applicants on any basis, much less because of race, color, religion, sex, disability or age. We believe in the value of diversity, and our diverse workforce, which represents the community we serve, is a strength. As a small business owner who has spent years trying to run a successful business, providing good-paying union jobs, and being a force for good in my community, I find such accusations particularly reckless and hurtful.

We respectfully request the community to withhold judgement until we can fully defend ourselves in the court of law, as that is the chosen process of the terminated employee.