Melody Morales: Hawaiian Tropic Zone Told Me I Didn’t Speak White

Melody Morales, a one-time Hooters girl, is suing New York City’s Hawaiian Tropic Zone for not hiring her as a bikini-wearing waitress.

Melody Morales vs. Hawaiian Tropic Zone

Melody Morales — who is Latina — says the manager at the Times Square Hawaiian Tropic Zone told her she “[didn’t] speak white” and was “ghetto,” the New York Daily News reports. Morales, 21, claims the manager went as far as to say: “I am not going to ruin my business with your Latin accent.” She says she was told she had a “speech problem.”

Morales alleges she is more than qualified for the position.

“Not to brag, but I look good in a bikini,” she told the Daily News.

The Hawaiian Tropic Zone has called the suit “without merit.”

The restaurant is also facing a separate lawsuit from four former female employees who say they suffered sexual harassment on the job.