NC man sues Hardee's after he says he wasn't given enough hash browns

MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. (WCTI) - A North Carolina man has filed a federal lawsuit against a major fast-food chain, letting the courts hash out his allegations.

Tommy Martin, 58, of Mount Holly, North Carolina, alleges Hardee's "deprived him of his civil rights last year by not putting enough 'Hash Rounds' on his plate," WSOC reported.

In the federal lawsuit, Martin alleges his skin color led to him being served an inadequate amount of the potato-based breakfast side. Martin, who is black, alleges in the handwritten lawsuit that the incident violated the 14th Amendment, which deals with civil rights. The incident happened on May 30, 2018, in Belmont, North Carolina.

According to the lawsuit, the cashier at the Hardee's tried to correct the issue, but a manager stepped in and told Martin "that's what you get," news outlets say. Martin alleges in the lawsuit the incident made him feel stupid and gave him cibophobia, fear of food. While Martin said he was given a refund by a Hardee's manager, he wants a jury to decide the case.

A spokesman at the Hardee’s corporate office released a statement to HuffPost saying it takes the allegations seriously but is declining to comment since the lawsuit is against an independently owned and operated franchise:

"Hardee's is aware of the lawsuit filed this week which alleges that a guest's civil rights were violated while visiting one of our independently owned and operated franchised locations over a year ago," the spokesman told HuffPost. "As a company we take these allegations seriously, however, as this lawsuit is pending against a franchisee, we have no additional comment on the matter at this time."