PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A Duval County man who worked in the kitchen at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach is suing the PGA Tour, saying he was discriminated against because he is a white male.
In the lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday, Ryan Randolph said he was fired in retaliation after complaining about facing repeated racial and sex-based harassment, including comments like “White guys don’t know how to cook” and homophobic slurs.
Randolph worked for the PGA Tour from December 2023 to July 2024. The complaint says Johnattan Hernandez, a native of Puerto Rico, was hired as the new executive chef in April 2024, with the responsibility of managing the culinary operations for the entire property.
Hernandez was featured on News4JAX right before The Players Championship, shortly after being hired. He had a reputation of being a culinary expert, but one of his colleagues says he went too far in his actions and statements.
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Randolph said the chef made racial comments (e.g., saying “White guys don’t know how to cook or season food,” and that he wanted an “all-Hispanic kitchen”) and repeatedly made sexist and homophobic remarks directed at Randolph, like mocking a vasectomy, calling him a slur, and saying “you are too much of a f** to handle this.”
Randolph, who was reportedly the only white employee in the kitchen, said that after complaining to Hernandez about the conduct in May 2024, he received disciplinary write-ups from the chef.
Randolph said that he took his complaints to the company’s head of talent and culture in June 2024, and he was fired on July 4, 2024, with the company citing “spoiled food” as the reason for his termination. The general manager of TPC Sawgrass is also named in the lawsuit.
Randolph is suing the PGA Tour under Title VII and the Florida Civil Rights Act, claiming race and sex discrimination.
He wants a jury trial, and he wants the court to award him lost wages, emotional and punitive damages, injunctive relief and either reinstatement or front pay.
News4JAX reached out to the attorney for Randolph and the PGA Tour, and both declined to comment pending ongoing litigation.
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