OK this story takes all kinds of turns. So there’s a customer making bigoted remarks about Muslims at an Applebee’s. It’s a free country, but, if a business doesn’t want that in their restaurant, that’s their right. She kicks him out, then she gets fired. Now she’s suing:
A New Jersey resident claims she lost her job at an Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar because she asked a bar customer to leave after other patrons complained about his anti-Muslim tirade.
Amanda Breaud alleges in a lawsuit filed this week that she was harassed by her co-workers and managers after she removed a customer from an Applebee’s in Middletown after several families complained about the person’s loud comments against Muslims.
One customer reported hearing the bar patron describing Muslims as “disgusting” and saying that most are “terrorists,” according to the suit filed in Monmouth County superior court.
Not being there, it’s really tough to make absolute judgements. Maybe the owner didn’t make it clear that they were OK with people bothering other customers? Maybe she was rude to the customer as well. We just don’t know. But we do know that the restaurant is within its right to ask someone to leave and also to fire a server if they don’t act according to what the owner wishes.
More from CBS News:
The customer allegedly told Breaud that she viewed Applebee’s as a family restaurant and that if nothing were done to stop the bar patron’s rant, she would call the police.
Employed as a supervisor at the restaurant and another New Jersey Applebee’s, Breuad claims that after getting complaints from two other families, she asked the man to leave the restaurant.
According to the suit, Breaud was thanked for her action by other patrons, including one who left a message of gratitude on their receipt, writing: “Thank you for standing up to hate and racism – thank you for your service.”
This is silly though:
The manager eventually fired Breaud, who claims she was wrongfully terminated and that she’s been harassed since the incident.
“The retaliation experienced by our client has no place in a civilized society, and Applebee’s must be held to account for its failure to oppose racism in its restaurants and for violating our client’s rights,” Breaud’s attorney, Christian McOmber, a partner at McOmber & McOmber stated. “We are proud of Ms. Breaud for her courage in standing against racism and in exposing the unacceptable conduct of Applebee’s Restaurants.”
“Failure to oppose racism”? Huh? Is that a law? NOPE. They clearly just want to damage the restaurant with that crap. And that kinda sounds like extortion.
So yeah, I dunno. They could have acted wrongly if they treated her badly on her way out. There are way worse accusations made in the video than in the article. But they need to be proven in court. An employer should be courteous and follow the law when it comes to their employees. What do y’all think?