McDonalds Employees: ‘Beat That Trans Woman!’
You’re working the night shift at McDonald's handing out hamburgers.
A trans woman tries to use the bathroom, and two other McDonalds customers start to beat her up.
What do you do?
If you’re a McDonald’s employee in Baltimore, apparently you cheer the attackers on.
On Monday, April 18, two young women were caught on camera brutally attacking a defenseless trans woman who was simply trying to use the bathroom in a McDonald's outside Baltimore. Hat tip to Bil Browning, who seems to be the first blogger to cover the incident and to buckangel for the tipoff.
The video footage is horrific, but what’s more is that the attack took place in full view of McDonald's employees, indeed it seems the person who filmed the video may have been an employee of the fast food chain. Not only did most of the McDonald’s staff neglect to try and stop the attack, they can be heard on the video cheering on the attackers!
A 14-year-old girl has been charged over her role in the assault, and charges are pending against an 18-year-old accused of beating up the trans woman.
But absolutely nothing has been done about the employees who just stood by while a hate crime was taking place right in front of them!
McDonalds is one of the largest, most powerful corporations on earth. It touts itself as a customer-driven company, whose workers are socially aware, sensitive to diversity and professional in conduct. One would think that such a company would be quick to fire those employees that encouraged the attackers. Yet we are five days after this disgusting assault and McDonald’s has yet to do so.
All McDonald’s has done is issue a statement using nice words to essentially say they are looking into it:
"We are shocked by the video from a Baltimore franchised restaurant showing an assault. This incident is unacceptable, disturbing and troubling. McDonald’s strives to be a safe, welcoming environment for everyone who visits. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of customers and employees in our restaurants. We are working with the franchisee and the local authorities to investigate this matter. We are doing everything possible to make sure the right thing is done."
That’s all they have to say?
Well I’m sorry, folks, but that doesn’t cut it. It’s a no brainer: at any company, if employees were encouraging violence against anyone they would be fired immediately.
Join Adrian Leigh, a Change.org member in Baltimore, in calling on McDonalds to immediately terminate these employees.
Adrian is also asking those who want justice for this trans woman to please call the Violent Crimes Division of Maryland’s State Attorney's Office at 410-887-6610. Tell them these employees should be charged as accessories to a hate crime.
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Benjamin Joffe-Walt
is a Change.org editor. He is an award-winning journalist and has written extensively on human rights issues in the US, Africa and the Middle East.
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