Emory Ellis, who lived on the streets in Boston, ventured into a Burger King in November 2015 to buy breakfast.

He left the restaurant under arrest, wrongfully accused of trying to pay for his meal with a fake $10 bill. He spent more than three months in jail.

This week, Ellis, 37, sued Burger King and the store franchisee for nearly $1 million, saying he was discriminated against for being black and homeless. The lawsuit comes amid a resurgence in a national debate about thetreatment of black people in businesses and public spaces.

"I know that had I walked into the Burger King with the exact same $10 bill, nobody would have scrutinized it," said Ellis's attorney, Justin Drechsler. "I never would have been accused of anything. I certainly wouldn'thave had the police called on me, no matter what the series of events."

Ellis was arrested and charged with forgery of a bank note. The arrest spurred a probation violation, and Ellis was held without bail until his final probation violation hearing, the lawsuit said.

Ellis was held until February 2016 after the Secret Service determined the $10 bill was real, according to the lawsuit. His money was never returned.

To read the complete article, see:
A Burger King worker thought a black man's $10 bill was fake. Hewas arrested. Now he's suing. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2018/05/17/a-burger-king-worker-thought-a-black-mans-10-bill-was-fake-he-was-arrested-now-hes-suing/)