Black Secret Service agents allege racial bias at Md. restaurant - Denny's restaurant in Maryland

Black Secret Service agents, who contend they were discriminated against when employees at a Maryland Denny's took so long to serve them breakfast that in effect they were denied service, filed a civil suit against the restaurant chain.

Secret Service officials have asked for an explanation from Denny's company officials about the incident, which ironically occurred the same day a federal court ordered the national restaurant chain to stop refusing service to Blacks and otherwise discriminating against them -- the result of an earlier suit.

In the lawsuit, the agents are asking for an unspecified amount of damages and a permanent injunction ordering the restaurant to prevent future such incidents.

The six agents who are alleging they were racially discriminated against were part of a uniformed 21-member contingent that went to the restaurant for breakfast prior to setting up security for President Clinton's speech at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Their lawyer, John Relman, of the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, said the agents are good enough to protect the president, but "not good enough to get a plate of eggs."

The Black agents claim they waited an hour -- while White customers who ordered after them were served -- before finally leaving without eating. A group of White Secret Service agents at another table were reportedly served in a timely fashion.

In wake of the new allegations of discrimination by the Secret Service agents, TW Services, Denny's parent company, has set up a hotline for employees to call company officials to report possible discrimination.