Herb Washington, a “designated runner” for the 1974 and 1975 A’s, plans to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Tuesday alleging McDonald’s forced him to sell his outlets to white owners.
Washington, 69, owned as many as 27 McDonald’s franchises in Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania over four decades, the largest Black-owned McDonald’s operation in the nation, according to a statement from his representation, Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane & Conway.
The complaint is to be filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
“As part of its effort to drive Black franchisees from its system, McDonald’s has targeted Washington and has pressured him to sell one store after another to white franchisees,” the law firm said in a statement. “On Feb. 16, Washington will bring a civil rights action to hold McDonald’s accountable for its racial discrimination and retaliation against him as a Black franchisee.”
Washington will appear in a Tuesday virtual news conference with his representation, said his firm, adding the Rev. Jesse Jackson was invited.
Washington’s firm said, “If one of the biggest and most powerful corporations in the United States can silence someone with the track record and success of Herb Washington, what Black business leader can feel safe speaking out about the mistreatment of African Americans in the business world?”
McDonald’s could not be reached for comment Monday.
Washington was a world-class sprinter at Michigan State and hadn’t played baseball since high school, but A’s owner Charlie Finley signed him to run the bases, and he appeared in 105 games over two seasons, stealing 31 bags in 48 attempts and scoring 33 runs.
Washington also appeared in the 1974 postseason — he was picked off in Game 2 of the World Series. He did not have a big-league plate appearance.
“I felt like if I had spent the time in baseball that I did in track, I could have played,” Washington told The Chronicle in a 2002 interview. “I just had not done the kind of training that was necessary to participate at that level.”
John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHey
February 16, 2021 at 07:00AM
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Former A’s ‘designated runner’ Herb Washington to sue McDonald’s - San Francisco Chronicle
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