Judge approves settlement in one Panera discrimination case

A federal judge today approved a settlement in a former manager's discrimination lawsuit against the owner of the Panera Bread in Mt. Lebanon. Scott Donatelli of Scott claimed in the lawsuit that Covelli Enterprises of Warren, Ohio, fired him from the Galleria mall store because he has degenerative arthritis and refused to relegate minority employees to jobs that kept them out of public view. Covelli Enterprises has denied Donatelli's claims as well as discrimination claims made by two other former employees in separate lawsuits that are still pending. Lawyers for Donatelli and Covelli Enterprises on Tuesday filed a joint motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but the motion doesn't provide any details of the settlement. U.S. District Judge Terrence McVerry approved the motion today. Sam Cordes, Donatelli's lawyer, declined comment. Company spokesman Allen Ryan couldn't be reached for comment.