Black officer says he was asked to pay at Georgia Chick-fil-A, but his white colleagues weren’t
Black police officer says he was asked to pay at Georgia Chick-fil-A but his white colleagues did not
The owners of Chick-fil-A in Georgia are apologizing to the Clover Police Department after an officer says he was subjected to racial discrimination at the restaurant.
Channel 2 Action News‘ sister station WSOC He spoke to officers about the experience and they hope it leads to change.
“You know, I was kind of humiliated and embarrassed by the whole situation. It felt like it was a racial thing to me,” said Clover Police Sgt. Tracey Reid.
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Reid said this experience happened on a business trip a few weeks ago at Chick-fil-A in Augusta. He and three other CPD officers went to the restaurant for breakfast. Reid is Black; The other three officers are white.
“We came in together, we lined up in the same uniform, there was never a moment when we weren’t in line together that we weren’t together,” Reid said.
They say all three white officers were offered free meals, which they say are often offered to law enforcement officers at popular chain restaurants. However, when Reid reached the cash register, he had to pay.
“He said he had to pay for his own food, and that infuriated me,” Detective Thomas Barnette said. ”And I said, ‘Do you want me to go and say something?’ I said. ‘No, I don’t want you to make a scene,’ he said, but I could understand the way he looked; “He just looked at his plate and looked sad and humiliated, and that really pissed me off.”
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Eventually, Reid wrote a letter to Chick-fil-A, demanding that the chain retrain employees at its Augusta location and strengthen companywide policies regarding compliance with civil rights laws.
Reid and other officers were unhappy with the Augusta store manager’s response, which included two cards for free food.
“He said it was perceived as a racist incident, but I didn’t like that because it wasn’t perceived; it actually happened,” Reid said.
“He’s not the only one who perceived it. We all perceived it, and it wasn’t a perception, it was what it was. It was a racial issue,” Barnette said.
The manager’s letter also included an apology. It was stated that the person who handled the meal was a team leader who did not normally work at the cash register, and the manager described the incident as a mistake.
Chick-fil-A Augusta Owner-Operator Kenny Hanna shared a statement Channel 2 Action News.
“We regret the unintended impact this incident had and sincerely apologize to Guest. We are deeply concerned by this allegation. It appears to be an honest oversight across lines and records. We are strongly committed to supporting our community’s first responders.”
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