A Black woman says she was recently profiled at a Virginia Dunkin’ Donuts while using the shop's free Wi-Fi.
Earlier this summer, the chain came under fire for a similar profiling incident after a Baltimore location posted a sign requesting that customers report employees who are not speaking English.
According to Tirza Wilbon White, she went into the store in Fairfax, Virginia, where she was approached by employee Christina Cabral. White was sitting down to use the coffee shops free Wi-Fi when the employee told her she had to make a purchase to do so.
White filmed the interaction with Cabral while she asked for clarification about the policy. The presumed employee revealed herself as the franchise owner and stated that she needed to “ensure safety with her customers.”
"I need to ensure safety to my customers, and I'm not saying that you're a problem, but I've had problems in the past," the owner said.
Two minutes into the video, the customer explained that she had frequented the store for two years. The owner responded to the statement telling White she could “leave.”
"Don't get into racial profiling. You can leave my location. I find that offensive," the woman said.
White shared her feelings about the experience with NBC 4.
"I was dressed in a hoodie, yoga pants, no makeup," White said. "I felt racially profiled.”
White also posted a video on Facebook and wrote a detailed description revealing that the owner called the police who later told her to leave.
Dunkin’ shared a written statement with Newsweek explaining the incident.
"We and our franchisees want every customer who walks into a Dunkin' restaurant to be treated with dignity and respect. This did not happen in a situation at a restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia. We have apologized to the customer, but we know that is not enough," the statement read.
“Our franchisees are independent businesspeople, who so long as they comply with the law, may set their own policies in regards to certain things like Wi-Fi usage and whether to limit its use to only those who make a purchase," it continued.
While the company addressed the policy, it also mentioned a commitment to improvement.
"However, we are focused on helping our franchisees best serve our diverse customer base and are currently exploring how we can improve every aspect of our restaurant operations from store signage, recommended policies, and training for franchisees and their crew members,” the statement mentioned in closing. "We are committed to doing better."
NBC 4 reported that their correspondent Mark Segraves went and sat in the restaurant for 20 minutes without purchasing anything and was not addressed.
Whew, chile, the racism!
Check out the full video here:
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