Whataburger fires employee for refusing to serve police officers

[Dos Equis]

Good.  Find someplace else to work.  And don't ever call 911 asking for help. 

Whataburger fires employee for refusing to serve police officers
Published September 16, 2015
FoxNews.com

A Texas Whataburger employee was fired Wednesday for refusing to serve two police officers in what the company is describing as an appalling incident.

Officers Michael Magovern and Cameron Beckham were working off-duty security at a construction site on I-35 early Wednesday morning when they decided to stop at the restaurant in Lewisville, FOX 26 reports.

Magovern said before he could even place his order, the man behind the counter told him “We don’t serve police officers.”

The two officers decided to leave and went and got food at Dairy Queen instead.

"We were appalled to hear of an employee refusing service to two officers, as we have proudly served first responders across our system for decades,” Whataburger said in a statement Wednesday. “As soon as we heard of this isolated incident, we began our own internal investigation overnight. The employee that refused service is no longer employed with Whataburger. We've also invited the officers back today so we can apologize in person and make this right."

Magovern told Fox 26 that in “17 years as a firefighter and now 13 years as a police officer this is the first time this has ever happened to me.”

Click for more from Fox 26.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/09/16/whataburger-fires-employee-for-refusing-to-serve-police-officers/?intcmp=hplnws

[LurkerNoMore]

Same thing happened at an Arbys here just the other week.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/09/04/florida-arby-fires-manager-suspends-clerk-who-refused-to-serve-police-officer/

[Dos Equis]

Pretty dumb way to protest. 

[Las Vegas]

Good.  Find someplace else to work.  And don't ever call 911 asking for help. 

Whataburger fires employee for refusing to serve police officers
Published September 16, 2015
FoxNews.com

A Texas Whataburger employee was fired Wednesday for refusing to serve two police officers in what the company is describing as an appalling incident.

Officers Michael Magovern and Cameron Beckham were working off-duty security at a construction site on I-35 early Wednesday morning when they decided to stop at the restaurant in Lewisville, FOX 26 reports.

Magovern said before he could even place his order, the man behind the counter told him “We don’t serve police officers.”

The two officers decided to leave and went and got food at Dairy Queen instead.

"We were appalled to hear of an employee refusing service to two officers, as we have proudly served first responders across our system for decades,” Whataburger said in a statement Wednesday. “As soon as we heard of this isolated incident, we began our own internal investigation overnight. The employee that refused service is no longer employed with Whataburger. We've also invited the officers back today so we can apologize in person and make this right."

Magovern told Fox 26 that in “17 years as a firefighter and now 13 years as a police officer this is the first time this has ever happened to me.”

Click for more from Fox 26.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/09/16/whataburger-fires-employee-for-refusing-to-serve-police-officers/?intcmp=hplnws

I'm sure the officers wouldn't think of accepting anything free from the restaurant.

Sounds like the guy was joking, which made them paranoid about having their food tampered with (which caused them to go somewhere else), and that's what happened.

[240 is Back]

Same thing happened at an Arbys here just the other week.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/09/04/florida-arby-fires-manager-suspends-clerk-who-refused-to-serve-police-officer/

what if it was a male cop married to another man?   whole new ballgame

[Dos Equis]

I'm sure the officers wouldn't think of accepting anything free from the restaurant.

Sounds like the guy was joking, which made them paranoid about having their food tampered with (which caused them to go somewhere else), and that's what happened.

That's not what the story says.  Did you read that somewhere else? 

[Las Vegas]

That's not what the story says.  Did you read that somewhere else? 

I haven't read anything more on it than what you posted.  Is there something that conflicts with what I said?

[Dos Equis]

I haven't read anything more on it than what you posted.  Is there something that conflicts with what I said?

I didn't read anything about the employee joking or the officers being concerned about their food being tampered with? 

[Las Vegas]

I didn't read anything about the employee joking or the officers being concerned about their food being tampered with? 

The officers took it upon themselves to choose to go elsewhere, which certainly wasn't for the sake of convenience.  Isn't that true?

[Dos Equis]

The officers took it upon themselves to choose to go elsewhere, which certainly wasn't for the sake of convenience.  Isn't that true?

They went elsewhere because the business refused to serve them. 

[Las Vegas]

They went elsewhere because the business refused to serve them. 

You believe they were so ignorant as to think they were being legitimately refused service.  Is that what you're saying?

[Skeletor]

If they didn't do their job, they should get fired. Or maybe they should have asked for "reasonable accommodation of their beliefs" and not serve cops.

From the story it appears these cops were working off-duty security. How did the employees determine the customers were cops?

[Las Vegas]

If they didn't do their job, they should get fired. Or maybe they should have asked for "reasonable accommodation of their beliefs" and not serve cops.

From the story it appears these cops were working off-duty security. How did the employees determine the customers were cops?

I think they were moonlighting in uniform.

[Dos Equis]

You believe they were so ignorant as to think they were being legitimately refused service.  Is that what you're saying?

I have no idea if they "legitimately" believed they were being refused service.  I'm saying the story says this:

Magovern said before he could even place his order, the man behind the counter told him “We don’t serve police officers.”

The two officers decided to leave and went and got food at Dairy Queen instead.

That says nothing about a joke or food tampering.  

[Las Vegas]

I have no idea if they "legitimately" believed they were being refused service.  I'm saying the story says this:

[iMagovern said before he could even place his order, the man behind the counter told him “We don’t serve police officers.”

The two officers decided to leave and went and got food at Dairy Queen instead.[/i]

That says nothing about a joke or food tampering.  

Figure it out, DE.  Do you honestly think they believed the place had a policy of refusing police officers?

[Dos Equis]

Figure it out, DE.  Do you honestly think they believed the place had a policy of refusing police officers?

I don't know.  Regardless, nothing in the story says the employee was joking or that the officers believed their food would be tampered with. 

[Las Vegas]

I don't know.  Regardless, nothing in the story says the employee was joking or that the officers believed their food would be tampered with.  

The employee knows he couldn't back it up even if he wanted to.  So he can't say it in seriousness.

The officers know he can't back it up, too.  So they know they can eat there if they really want to.

Safe to say, those are the facts.

But the officers don't want their food made in an environment where they were greeted like that, and I don't blame them.  

No sense in acting like it's anything more than that.

[240 is Back]

what if the customer was in full-blown nazi clothing, and the employee didn't want to serve them?  

We'd probably be okay with it.  Right?

[Dos Equis]

The employee knows he couldn't back it up even if he wanted to.  So he can't say it in seriousness.

The officers know he can't back it up, too.  So they know they can eat there if they really want to.

Safe to say, those are the facts.

But the officers don't want their food made in an environment where they were greeted like that, and I don't blame them.  

No sense in acting like it's anything more than that.

You are making assumptions, which is fine.  I just thought there was more to the story. 

[Las Vegas]

Funny thing is, the kid's probably like 15 or something.

[Las Vegas]

You are making assumptions, which is fine.  I just thought there was more to the story. 

Doesn't that mean you're the one making assumptions?

[LurkerNoMore]

I didn't read anything about the employee joking or the officers being concerned about their food being tampered with? 

He is referring to the link I posted

"Davenport has said the controversy stemmed from a misunderstanding, and Maribal's comment was an attempt at a joke."

"Sgt. Martin finally received her food, but said she was too uncomfortable to eat it, so she returned it and got a refund. "

[Mawse]

Funny thing is, the kid's probably like 15 or something.

50, but with the low IQ to be expected of a Hebrew fast food worker. #BLM

https://www.gofundme.com/gy4bx73k

[Las Vegas]

He is referring to the link I posted

"Davenport has said the controversy stemmed from a misunderstanding, and Maribal's comment was an attempt at a joke."

"Sgt. Martin finally received her food, but said she was too uncomfortable to eat it, so she returned it and got a refund. "

I haven't yet read that one, but there's pretty much a single explanation for all these type stories.  Nothing else fits, generally.

[Las Vegas]

50, but with the low IQ to be expected of a Hebrew fast food worker. #BLM

https://www.gofundme.com/gy4bx73k

He should have considered the possibility of this happening.  Let's hope he learned something (along with the crybaby cops).