The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is demanding a federal investigation amid accusations that a Milwaukee-based store owner urged his employees to speak only English and not to converse with customers in Spanish.

"One Day...No One (Will Speak Spanish)"

Ron Schneider, owner of Leon's Frozen Custard, insists he never barred his employees from speaking English, though he admits for the last year he has regularly encouraged them to communicate in English as much as possible.

"I'm trying to avoid (customers) getting used to Spanish and then one day finding no one here who can speak it," he added, insisting that only a small number of the store's roughly two dozen employee actually speak Spanish.

Federal Government Asked to Investigate

While requesting that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission now intervene, representatives from LULAC contend that the English-only "policy" violates federal labor law.

"While many of us consider (Leon's) as a community institution, it was surprising when we learned of their language policy, which is in clear violation of federal labor law," the organization said in a statement.

The whole issue recently came to light after a Spanish-speaking customer claimed he witnessed a Leon's employee tell another Spanish-speaking customer to place her order in English. He added an employee later told him she was not allowed to converse with him in Spanish.

"I'd prefer that (employees) didn't speak in Spanish," Schneider, who claims that his wife is of Spanish and Apache Indian descent and only speaks English, later admitted. "This is still the United States. Why do we have to get involved in multi-language things?"

Frozen custard has long been a staple in Milwaukee, with Leon's reigning as one of the city's favorite spots, where lines are typically filled with customers at all hours through all kinds of weather.

Democratic State Rep. Josh Zepnick insists he hopes to soon meet with Schneider to talk out the situation.

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