A former employee of a popular Chicago gaming café has filed a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. On February 4, 2026, Selwyn S. Hopkins initiated legal proceedings against Gaming Cafe, LLC, operating as Snakes & Lattes Chicago, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The complaint accuses the café of engaging in unlawful employment practices based on race, violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1981.
Hopkins, an African American resident of Illinois, claims that during his tenure at Snakes & Lattes Chicago, he was subjected to racially discriminatory remarks by Executive Chef Chris Dunstatter. According to the complaint, Dunstatter made derogatory comments such as “You guys aren’t that bad after all; you just needed a white guy to come here to yell at you,” directed towards Hopkins and another African American colleague. Furthermore, it is alleged that Dunstatter used intimidation tactics by carrying a large knife around African American employees.
The plaintiff reported these incidents to Jon Eiswerth, the General Manager of Snakes & Lattes Chicago, on November 2, 2025. However, no meaningful action was taken by the employer to address or remediate the situation. Just days later, on November 6, 2025, Hopkins was terminated from his position under what he claims were false pretenses related to scheduling conflicts—a justification he argues was pretextual given prior approvals for his schedule.
Hopkins asserts that his termination was retaliatory following his complaint about racial discrimination. The lawsuit outlines multiple counts against Snakes & Lattes Chicago: race-based discrimination and retaliation under both Title VII and Section 1981. Hopkins seeks various forms of relief from the court including back pay with benefits due at trial time, compensatory damages for emotional distress and mental anguish caused by the alleged discrimination and retaliation. He also requests punitive damages due to what he describes as malicious conduct by the defendant with conscious disregard for his civil rights.
The case is being handled by attorney Gary Martoccio from Martoccio Law Group based in Tampa, Florida. The legal filing emphasizes Hopkins’ demand for a jury trial to resolve these allegations against Snakes & Lattes Chicago under Case ID: 1:26-cv-01272.
Source: 126cv01272_Selwyn_Hopkins_v_Gaming_Cafe_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf
