$1.1M Kickback Jack’s Sex Discrimination Settlement, Are You Eligible to Claim? File a Claim by August 3, 2026

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Kickback Jack’s — operated by Battleground Restaurants, Inc. and Battleground Restaurant Group, Inc. — for systematically refusing to hire men as servers, hosts, and bartenders. The company agreed to pay $1,111,300 to a class of male applicants and provide additional relief to settle the federal sex-based hiring discrimination lawsuit. If you applied for a front-of-house role at Kickback Jack’s and were not hired, you must file a claim by August 3, 2026.

Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	$1,111,300
Claim Deadline	August 3, 2026
Who Qualifies	Male applicants denied nonmanagerial front-of-house positions (server, host, bartender) at any Kickback Jack’s in NC, VA, or TN from Dec. 1, 2019, to Feb. 3, 2026
Payout Per Person	Pro-rata share of total fund (amount varies by number of valid claims)
Proof Required	No — claim form responses submitted under oath
Settlement Status	Open for Claims — Consent Decree Entered Feb. 3, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	N/A — EEOC-led consent decree (different process than typical class action)
Case Number	1:24-cv-00792-JAG-LPA
Court	U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina, Greensboro Division
Administrator	CPT Group, Inc.
EEOC Contact	[email protected] / 984-900-5910
Official Website	kbjsettlement.com

Current Status & What Happens Next

• The consent decree was entered on February 3, 2026, and the settlement is currently open for claims. You have until August 3, 2026, to submit your claim form online or by mail.
• The EEOC will use information from claim forms to determine each claimant’s eligibility and the amount of any award. All responses are provided under oath and subject to penalties for perjury.
• The settlement administrator will distribute payments after the claims process closes and the EEOC determines eligibility and payment amounts. The exact payment timeline is TBD pending the close of the claims window.

What Is the Kickback Jack’s Lawsuit About?

The EEOC’s suit alleged that Kickback Jack’s restaurants systematically refused or failed to hire male applicants for nonmanagerial front-of-house positions — including server, bartender, and host roles — dating back to at least December 2019. The EEOC brought the case under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex. Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 was also cited, which allows for compensatory damages in intentional discrimination cases.

Between December 1, 2019, and February 18, 2022, of the more than 2,100 people working in nonmanagerial front-of-house positions at 19 Kickback Jack’s locations across North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, only approximately 3% were male, and some restaurants had no male servers at all. The EEOC alleged the company had no legitimate business reason for these hiring patterns.

The EEOC filed suit in September 2024 in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina after first attempting to reach a voluntary pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. Battleground Restaurants denies any liability or that any male applicants were denied employment because of their sex. The consent decree resolving the case was entered on February 3, 2026.

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This Is an EEOC-Led Case — What That Means for You

Unlike a typical consumer class action where private attorneys represent plaintiffs, this case was brought by the federal government. The EEOC acts as the prosecutor on behalf of affected male applicants. You do not need to have filed your own EEOC charge or hired a lawyer. The EEOC identifies eligible claimants through the claims process itself.

Who Is Eligible to File a Claim?

You may qualify if you meet all of the following:

• You may qualify if you are male.
• You may qualify if you applied — or attempted to apply — for a nonmanagerial front-of-house position at any Kickback Jack’s restaurant owned or operated by Battleground Restaurants, Inc. or Battleground Restaurant Group, Inc.
• You may qualify if your application was submitted between December 1, 2019, and February 3, 2026.
• You may qualify if Kickback Jack’s did not hire you for that position.
• You may qualify if you believe the reason you were not hired was your sex (male).

The covered positions are specifically server, host, and bartender roles at Kickback Jack’s locations in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.

• You may also qualify if you applied for a front-of-house position but were steered into a different, non-front-of-house role instead.

You are NOT eligible if:

• You are currently represented by a lawyer relating to any application or employment with Battleground Restaurants, Inc., Battleground Restaurant Group, Inc., or any Kickback Jack’s restaurant.
• You have previously signed a release barring you from making legal claims against Battleground Restaurants, Inc. or Battleground Restaurant Group, Inc.

Not sure if you qualify? Contact the EEOC directly at 984-900-5910 or [email protected] — the federal agency will help you determine eligibility at no cost to you.

How Much Can You Receive?

The total settlement fund of $1,111,300 goes directly toward payments to eligible class members. The defendants will separately cover all costs associated with the claims administrator and claims process, and each party bears its own attorneys’ fees. This means no portion of the $1,111,300 is deducted for attorneys or administration — it all goes to claimants.

Your individual share is calculated on a pro-rata basis. In plain terms: the fund is divided among all eligible claimants the EEOC identifies. The exact amount each class member receives depends on the number of valid claims filed and the EEOC’s determination of each claimant’s eligibility and damages.

Because Kickback Jack’s employs thousands of workers across nearly 20 locations and the covered period spans over six years, the pool of potentially eligible male applicants may be substantial. File your claim to secure your share regardless of the final per-person estimate.

How to File Your Kickback Jack’s Claim

You must actively submit a claim. No payment is automatic.

Step 1 — Visit the official claim portal: www.kbjsettlement.com/Login

Step 2 — Answer all questions about your application — the location(s) you applied to, the approximate date, the position(s) you applied for, and your restaurant experience at the time.

Step 3 — Indicate whether you were offered an interview, offered a job, or denied a position, and whether you believe the denial was based on your sex.

Step 4 — Provide your current mailing address, email address, and phone number so the EEOC and administrator can reach you.

Step 5 — Sign the form under oath. By submitting, you swear or affirm under penalty of federal law that your answers are true to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief.

Step 6 — Submit online by August 3, 2026, or mail your completed PDF form, postmarked by August 3, 2026, to: EEOC v. Battleground Restaurants, Inc., c/o CPT Group, Inc., PO Box 19504, Irvine, CA 92623.

Important: In order to receive compensation, you will be required to provide a release of any claims against Battleground Restaurants, Inc. and Battleground Restaurant Group, Inc. This means participating in the settlement closes out your ability to separately sue the company for the same hiring discrimination claims.

Estimated time to complete: 5–10 minutes.

Non-Monetary Relief — What Changes at Kickback Jack’s

Beyond the money, the consent decree imposes significant mandatory changes at Kickback Jack’s. These are binding for three years from the decree date:

Under the three-year consent decree, Kickback Jack’s is prohibited from discriminating against qualified male applicants, from steering applicants into positions on the basis of sex, and from disposing of records of employment applications. The company must also adopt policies prohibiting sex-based discrimination, revise its hiring procedures to ensure all decisions are made without consideration of sex, and offer an interview to any qualified applicant for an open position.

Kickback Jack’s must also include images of male servers in any promotional materials depicting front-of-house employees, conduct annual training on Title VII’s prohibitions against sex discrimination for all employees involved in hiring, and submit periodic reports to the EEOC regarding its hiring practices.

These requirements give all future male applicants meaningful legal protections that the settlement alone cannot provide.

Important Deadlines & Dates

Milestone	Date
Alleged Discrimination Begins	December 1, 2019
EEOC Lawsuit Filed	September 25, 2024
EEOC Invitation to Potential Claimants Issued	April 3, 2025
Consent Decree Entered	February 3, 2026
Covered Period Ends	February 3, 2026
Claims Period Opens	Open now
Claim Filing Deadline	August 3, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	N/A — consent decree, not standard class action
Expected Payment Date	TBD — after claims close and EEOC determines eligibility

Frequently Asked Questions

Who brought this lawsuit — and do I need my own lawyer? 

No lawyer is required. The EEOC — the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against private sector employers for violations of federal anti-discrimination laws — brought this lawsuit on behalf of affected male applicants. Class counsel already exists in the form of the EEOC itself. You simply file a claim.

Do I need to file a claim to receive payment? 

Yes. If you do nothing, you will not receive any money from the settlement. However, unlike a standard class action, your legal right to separately sue Kickback Jack’s would not be impacted simply by doing nothing. Only claimants who submit a valid form by August 3, 2026, will receive payment.

Is this Kickback Jack’s settlement legitimate? 

Yes. The EEOC announced this settlement in an official press release dated February 4, 2026. The case, EEOC v. Battleground Restaurants, Inc., Civil Action No. 1:24-cv-00792, is pending in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, Greensboro Division. The settlement administrator is CPT Group, Inc., a nationally recognized claims administrator.

When will I receive my Kickback Jack’s settlement payment? 

The settlement administrator will distribute payments after the claims process closes on August 3, 2026, and the EEOC determines eligibility and calculates payment amounts for all valid claimants. A specific payout date has not been announced — check kbjsettlement.com for updates after the deadline passes.

What if I missed the August 3, 2026 claim deadline? 

After the deadline passes, the claims process closes and no additional claimants can be added. If you believe you were discriminated against in hiring at Kickback Jack’s after the covered period, you may still contact the EEOC at 1-800-669-4000 to explore whether a separate charge of discrimination is appropriate.

Will the settlement payment affect my taxes? 

Settlement payments related to employment discrimination claims may be treated as taxable wages or income depending on how the payment is characterized. Consult a tax professional regarding your specific situation and any IRS reporting obligations.

What exactly is a “consent decree” — and how is this different from a regular class action? 

A consent decree is a court-enforceable settlement agreement between a federal agency (here, the EEOC) and a company. Unlike a private class action where attorneys negotiate on behalf of a named plaintiff class, the three-year consent decree here resolves the EEOC’s lawsuit and requires Kickback Jack’s to adopt sweeping policy and training changes in addition to paying the settlement fund. The EEOC holds enforcement authority for the duration of the decree.

I applied but was steered to a back-of-house job instead. Can I still file? 

Male applicants who sought server, host, or bartender roles at Kickback Jack’s but were hired into a different position are also encouraged to contact the EEOC at 984-900-5910 or [email protected]. Being diverted from a front-of-house role based on sex may still make you eligible.

Sources & References

1. Official Settlement Website — kbjsettlement.com
2. EEOC Official Press Release — Kickback Jack’s to Pay $1.1 Million for Refusing to Hire Men (Feb. 4, 2026)
3. Official Claim Form PDF — kbjsettlement.com
4. EEOC Original Lawsuit Press Release — Sept. 25, 2024

Last Updated: April 18, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.