Dallas Taco Bell Sued Over Store Manager Allegedly Throwing Scalding Water On Black Customers

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the incident occurred on June 17 when Davis and C.T. realized they had some food missing from their $31 order.

After attempting to secure help in the drive-through, the duo proceeded to get out and try entering the dining area, which was closed at the time, to get their order corrected. An employee eventually let them in, locking the doors behind them, according to the lawsuit obtained by Today.

Upon speaking for about 10 minutes, the employee ultimately refused to correct Davis and C.T.’s order. One employee proceeded to allegedly challenge C.T. to a fight before the manager, whom the duo hadn’t yet spoken with, threw a bucket of scalding water on them.

“The newly released video footage shows Brittany and C.T. having a conversation with employees about their order,” attorneys Ben Crump and Paul A. Grinke said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “At the same time, you can see an employee on the phone in the back of the restaurant filling a container with boiling water, walking over to the counter, and then pouring it on C.T. and Brittany.”

“The footage also reveals an employee brandishing a firearm after the scalded customers fled the store,” the attorneys continued.

Family members rushed C.T. and Davis to a nearby hospital. Both sustained serious burns, and Davis reportedly suffered about 10 seizures due to the trauma.

“The Taco Bell store manager violently and without warning poured a bucket of boiling water over C.T.’s and Brittany’s heads, shoulders, breasts and legs, causing excruciating second and third-degree burns on their bodies,” Grinke and Crump noted, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

“Due to the scalding water that remained in their clothes against their bodies, C.T. and Brittany felt like they were ‘burning from the inside out,'” they continued. “The store they believed would be a place of service and safety quickly turned into a place of horrors.”

As a result of the physical and psychological damage, the family has filed a million-dollar-lawsuit against Taco Bell, a regional franchise called North Texas Bells and Taco Bell’s parent company — Yum! Brands.

“Not only did Brittany and C.T. suffer physical trauma because of the burns, but they will now live with the psychological trauma that comes with an attack like this,” the attorneys said, according to NBC News.

“All of this could have been prevented had Taco Bell placed human decency and customer service over a few dollars that it would have cost to get Plaintiffs’ order right,” they continued.

On top of this lawsuit, a police investigation is also currently underway.