Come on, people! We have a city-wide Fairness Ordinance for a reason! Discrimination on the basis of perceived sexual orientation is about the stupidest thing one can do. Stop this bull! McDonald’s should fire the insufferable, bigoted woman for using slurs. We may just hop down there this afternoon to take a film crew and ask some questions.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a complaint with the Metro Human Relations Commission. God knows if it’ll ever get anywhere, but they’ve filed it just the same.
So check this out: Ryan Marlatt, Teddy Eggers and three of their friends stopped at the McDonald’s at 420 East Market Street (telephone 502.589.3753, manager is Phyllis) for lunch on July 26. While waiting for their food, a service worker behind the counter referred to them as “faggots” while talking to a coworker. The customers made it clear they weren’t there to be insulted and requested to speak with a manager. While continuing to wait, the woman behind the counter repeatedly called them “faggots” in front of other patrons, also referring to them as “cocksucker” and “bitch.”
So classy. A McDonald’s employee calling some gay dudes “cocksucker” and “bitch.”
Ugh.
From the ACLU release:
“Nobody should be treated the way my friends and I were at that McDonald’s,” said Eggers of Indianapolis, Indiana. “When we finally got to speak with a supervisor, she said she didn’t see what the big deal was. I couldn’t believe what was happening.”
The supervisor on duty refused to refund the group’s purchase, claiming that only the restaurant’s general manager could authorize a refund. Marlatt said he attempted several times in the following weeks to contact both the general manager of the McDonald’s and the corporate offices. But when he filed reports with a corporate customer service number for McDonald’s, Marlatt said, he never received any sort of response, and every time he called the McDonald’s where the incident took place the staff hung up on him.
“It may just be a few dollars for a Big Mac and some fries, but if I’m going to spend my hard earned money anywhere I should be able to do so without being verbally abused,” said Marlatt. “The original name-calling was bad enough, but the fact that McDonald’s refuses to do anything to make this right just adds injury to the insult.”
“Although their complaints have gone unanswered by McDonald’s, Louisville has a law that protects people from this kind of treatment from any business,” said Christine Sun, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project who is representing Marlatt and Eggers. “Even though they won’t return Mr. Marlatt’s phone calls, we hope the Human Relations Commission will convince them to finally respond to this. It shouldn’t be considered a tall order to expect businesses to treat customers with basic human dignity.”
Marlatt and Eggers say all they want is an apology, a refund of the $28 they spent on the McDonald’s meal, and appropriate disciplinary action for the employees involved. They added that they would like to see one employee – the cashier who originally handled their order – be commended. “The cashier was the only person behind the counter who seemed to get that this was wrong, and she was trying to get the woman who was calling us names to stop,” said Eggers. “We really appreciated that she was at least trying to do the right thing when nobody else would.”
You may read the entire complaint by CLICKING HERE.
We made a call to McDonald’s corporate offices and are awaiting official comment from their communications team.
We’ll keep you updated on this story. Especially if the local Fairness campaign decides to release a statement or offer support. (Wishful thinking?)
30 responses so far ↓
1 Chris Strothoff // Sep 16, 2008 at 1:07 pm
We sure do have some real winners here in Louisville. How stupid can a person be to say things like that as an employee and not expect the customer to be offended. By the time this over they will be lucky to ever flip another burger.
2 Taylor // Sep 16, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Clearly that sort of behavior is disgusting and uncalled for. However, it is McDonald’s. Not too many Nobel Peace Prize winners in that outfit.
3 Mike Jones // Sep 16, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Taylor, what you just said is as bad as calling someone a derogatory name,. Do not insult someone because they work at McDonalds, at least they are working, paying taxes and being productive citizens.
4 jake // Sep 16, 2008 at 1:52 pm
For the most part, if you’re working at McDonald’s, it’s probably top-of-the-line work for you.
Granted, tons of high school students, college students and those looking for additional income also work at the “restaurants” – but let’s get real here. Fast food is the lowest of the low unless you absolutely have to work there.
5 Laura // Sep 16, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Can we not call out call out this disgusting bigotry without immediately descending into classism?
6 alum // Sep 16, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I’ve heard McDonald’s has one of the best retirement and benefits packages available, simply because so many people consider it a “lowest of the low” job. They highly reward employees who stay around and climb the ranks.
7 jake // Sep 16, 2008 at 2:39 pm
alum: Right. If you’re management. And it is possible to work your way up. But that doesn’t happen for most people. For most it’s a temporary job.
But compared to the McDonald’s locations in other parts of downtown… that one is indeed highly ghetto. Which kinda blows my mind, considering the med school and other business clientele there all the time. It’s one of the only places I’ve ever felt unsafe in all of Louisville. I’ve even felt safe in the middle of gunfire. But not there.
Laura: I haven’t seen anyone delve into classism just yet? Thanks for being concerned, though. If anyone says anything too awful, we’ll delete it.
8 Jeff Noble // Sep 16, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Oh my – my local McDonalds not only allegedly hires intolerant bigots, it is also allegedly in the ghetto. I live four blocks east and three blocks south. Should I opt for another location?
While I don’t appreciate the alleged language and do appreciate the ACLU stepping in with a complaint putting my card-carrying dues to work, there are other immediate ways of letting management know how you feel about this. This particular McDs used to be part of a franchise operation until about eight years ago. To my knowledge, it is now corporate-owned.
Call them. 583-8400. Tell them you wont be back until this matter is appropriately resolved. Or email them with the same message.
http://www.mcdonalds.com/contact/contact_us.html
Jacob, so you will know. The Med School-crowd McDonalds in located in the Kosair Hospital building at Chestnut and Floyd.
Did you really feel unsafe at Preston and Market?
JN
9 Dave // Sep 16, 2008 at 3:00 pm
“It’s one of the only places I’ve ever felt unsafe in all of Louisville. I’ve even felt safe in the middle of gunfire. But not there.”
You have got to be kidding me. One of the unsafest places you’ve ever been in Louisville? If true, then you need to get out more.
That McDonald’s is dirty, rude and frequented by homeless guys, but hardly “unsafe”.
Are you trying to live up to your five-alarm “drama” title? :-)
10 jake // Sep 16, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Jeff–
I said it was ghetto, not IN the ghetto. Read carefully. Ha.
Again, I didn’t say I felt unsafe in that area. I said I felt unsafe inside that McDonald’s. I spend quite a bit of time in that area, being a trendy known homosexual and all.
The number I list in the original story is the easiest way to get in touch with the manager.
11 jake // Sep 16, 2008 at 3:04 pm
And seriously, Harpe, read what I write before commenting for a change. Please.
I said it’s one of the only places I’ve felt unsafe in all of Louisville. You excerpted yourself. Meaning the folks working there and the folks frequenting that place– mostly homeless and vagrants who live in the area– are often intolerable. Meanwhile, being right beside the homeless shelter or in other parts where there’s much more crime– restaurants such as McDonald’s are much more safe.
Again, I didn’t say it was unsafe. I said I felt unsafe there. Inside the McDonald’s.
READ BEFORE POSTING. Please.
12 David Adams // Sep 16, 2008 at 4:02 pm
In the name of blogger solidarity, I think I’ll take my kids to Wendy’s or Burger King instead.
13 jake // Sep 16, 2008 at 4:11 pm
I don’t have any proof of this, but, Wendy’s is probably much healthier.
14 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Sep 16, 2008 at 4:48 pm
This McDonald’s is currently closed due to the power outage. That’s what I was told earlier today, anyway. And I almost went there for “lunch” while operating my “away office” at Derby City Espresso. :)
15 Gordon // Sep 16, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I guess those guys didn’t deserve a break today. Totally blows my mind… I used to stop by the drive through at that location for coffee and was usually treated very well. But I’m now hooked on Green Tea, so no more Mcdonald’s coffee. Wouldn’t even begin to eat the food.
16 James R. // Sep 16, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Jake, to call people who work at McDonalds the “lowest of the low”, is not a far cry from calling customers horrible derogatory names. I see no reason to lower yourself to the level of the idiot employee at McDonalds, but you seem to have no problem doing it.
It is not impressive to criticize an entire group of employees at McDonalds anymore than it is to criticize 5 gay men.
For someone who claims that they wish everyone would be more accepting, you are just as narrow minded as the employee at McDonalds. Your comments are very very immature!
17 ameritrash // Sep 16, 2008 at 5:48 pm
while i am disappointed in the mcdonald’s employee behaving this way, i’m also disappointed in the insults so quickly given to mcdonald’s employees in general. i don’t and never will consider myself superior to a mcdonald’s employee. and i am saddened by those who do.
on a lighter note, i find ad at the top of the page for mcdonald’s coupons to be highly entertaining. i love contextual ads.
18 Dave // Sep 16, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Uh, buddy, I did read what you said. You compared being inside that McDonald’s to being in the middle of gunfire, and said you’ve felt safer in the middle of gunfire. I said if that’s how you feel you need to get out more. QED.
C’Mon, Jake. All you’re doing is tossing in drama because the lawsuit is something that matters to you. That’s fine, I know it’s an important thing for you. But making it sound like you need body armor to go there is being overdramatic, and that’s what I called you on. It’s just a restaurant, like numerous others. It’s not even in that bad of a neighborhood.
To those reading this who have never been to that particular restaurant, you aren’t going to get jumped, mugged, or beat up if you go there. It’s just another not so clean, borderline rude restaurant that Jake doesn’t like. Just don’t go there with Jake and you’ll be fine. :-)
19 jake // Sep 16, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Harpe: you’re full of it.
Others: Jesus fucking christ you people are uptight. I called the fast food job the lowest of the low… but thanks for reading between the lines and playing the role of concern troll.
Don’t like it? Don’t read it. And please consider some Midol.
20 Joel // Sep 16, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Steve, if you’re spending time at Derby City Espresso, go across Preston and get a sandwich at Bank Shot Billiards. They have great deli sandwiches and are locally owned. Homophobic and hateful comments to customers aside, McDonald’s is garbage.
21 Carter Burger // Sep 16, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Just goes to show you that no matter how much legislation you pass, people will act the way people act. You can’t legislate the way a person thinks.
22 Terri // Sep 16, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Divert! Divert! We totally care about ageism and classism! Divert!
23 anon@anon.com // Sep 17, 2008 at 10:42 am
Well, has Fairness issued any statements on this? They have a $1,000,000 endowment left to them by Wallace’s dad. They are supposed to be pretty good about investigating things. I know they are probably still bogged down from their investigation of the Herndon mail piece back in May. They are looking into that aren’t they? They also got some additional money from Jim King to help them look into the Katie King flier that went out, although no one seems to know why the Fairness Campaign would be interested in that or why King would give them money since it had nothing to do with gender identity or sexual oreintation stuff. What ever became of that investigation? They’ve probably worked as hard on it as they have on the Herndon stuff. Fairness is just too busy to be concerned about discrimination against gay males. Maybe the Bentley woman could look into all this. She has that handicapped permit now so she can park right at the door. Isn’t she a big defender of gay stuff?
24 jake // Sep 17, 2008 at 10:45 am
anon: HAHAHAHA.
25 James R. // Sep 17, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Funny how Jake says everyone else is uptight. Yea maybe I am uptight when i hear a blogger call employees of an entire company “lowest of the low”. That type of ignorance has no place on the internet, no more than the type of ignorance by the McDonalds employee has a place at the cash register.
26 jake // Sep 17, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Thanks for making shit up.
I said the JOB was the lowest of the low. Fast food.
Keep on spinning, folks.
27 Carter Burger // Sep 17, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Jake, have you ever shoveled out a horse stall at 6 in the morning in 20 degree weather? That’s pretty damn low there! ;-)
28 Carter Burger // Sep 17, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Actually, in the words of Larry the Cable Guy, “I don’t care who you are, that’s low. If you don’t think that’s low you can just get the hell outta here!”
(sorry, it’s late. I’m just enjoying having my internets back)
29 jake // Sep 17, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Does pony poop count?
I’d still do that over fast food any day.
30 Jeff in Clifton Heights // Sep 20, 2008 at 12:10 am
the 3rd comment here describes McDonald’s employees as “working”, “paying taxes” and “productive citizens”. Working, yes they are. Paying taxes – no, not exactly. Earned Income Credit negates any taxes they pay. Productive citizens-ummm…they are on Passport Healthplan insurance (KY Medicaid) and Section 8 Housing assistance so I’m not sure if that qualfies as “productive” or not.
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