Netizens are over themselves with rage after a deaf woman called out the Dunkin fast food joint for turning down her order because of her disability.
Dunkin’ Donuts is under fire from a woman who called out the restaurant in a tear-jerking video, saying that they refused her service due to her disability.
She shared the video on TikTok, which showed her crying as she recounted her devastating ordeal at the hands of the restaurant’s employees and their manager.
A woman who claimed she was denied Dunkin’s service because of her disability. | Photo: tiktok.com/shannon_heroux
The video featured the poster, @shannon_hereoux, seated in her car, with a grief-flushed face covered by a pair of sunglasses. The uber driver admitted to her that she was the one who drove her. She took off her glasses and revealed her reddened eyes.
She began by pointing out how emotional she had been since the ordeal. The woman recalled how she tried to order a drink at the joint but could not hear any of the staff because she had forgotten to wear her cochlear implants.
She tried to explain to the employees she was deaf and that she needed them to lower her masks so she could see their lips.
User’s comment on the video of a woman who claims she was denied Dunkin service because of her disability. | Photo: tiktok.com/shannon_heroux
Even after the manager came along, he gave her the same treatment as the employees, even refusing to write down his responses for her to read. Stifling another bout of tears, Shannonsaid:
“I’ve never been refused an order before. And it hurts. It hurts really bad. Dunkin’ Donuts is my favorite place to go.”
Shannon believed the manager, like many others before him, doubted her hearing disability because her speech was flawless.
Comment by a user to the video about a woman who claimed she was denied Dunkin’s service due to her disability. | Photo: tiktok.com/shannon_heroux
The poster explained that she posed no immediate danger of infection to any of the staff, as she had her mask on and stood six feet away from them. They were also separated by plexiglass which she thought was sufficient. Amid tears, the postersaid:
“What more do they want from us! We’ve struggled so much during the pandemic. Enough is enough.”
Sharing the video was the uber driver’s way of letting the world know discriminating against physically challenged people was not okay. She was supported by other TikTok users.
In the comments section, netizens offered support by shaming the fast-food chain’s discriminatory behavior. Onewrote:
“So sorry you had to go through this. Dunkin is completely in the wrong. I hope they realize that you could sue them for disability discrimination.”
Another netizen agreed, offering to help Shannon file a civil lawsuit and an ADA complaint against the restaurant at no fee. One userstatedfirmly: “Not going to @Dunkin’ again until they give the huge apology they owe her.”
A user’s comment to the video of a woman who claimed to be denied service at Dunkin because of her disability. | Photo: tiktok.com/shannon_heroux
Most users commended the young woman for being bold enough to call out the restaurant, thereby standing up for everyone living with a disability.
Some tried explaining to the poster that asking employees to pull down their masks to enable her tolip-readwas not a safe option due to the ongoing pandemic.
The staff were criticized for not writing down their thoughts for the customer, no matter if they believed her to be deaf. TikTokers demanded Dunkin’s staff to correct their mistakes or face penalties.
User comments to video of woman who claimed she was denied Dunkin service due to her disability. | Photo: tiktok.com/shannon_heroux
In July, Walmart faced a dire penalty over a similar situation. The company reportedlyfiredan employee with down syndrome for severe absenteeism without providing her with reasonable accommodation.
Marlo Spaeth was the victim of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit against Walmart. The jury awarded Spaeth $125,000,000 in punitive damages and $150,000 in compensatory damages.
The verdict was reduced to $300,000. This is the maximum amount permitted under federal law for punitive or compensatory damages. However, it was still a significant penalty.