A black woman has accused a waitress and manager at Waffle House of passing racist comments at her while making references about having a 'noose' after she visited the Gainesville, Georgia outlet. Angelica Tabor-Fells said the comments about noose were made in front of her family which included her special needs sister.
As per Tabor-Fells' attorney, "a 'noose,' or a rope with a loop under a running knot, symbolizes brutal hate and an era in American history when thousands of African Americans were lynched and murdered simply for the color of their skin."
Employees Talked About Nooses in Front of the Family
Tabor-Fells who posted a TikTok video about the incident is seen holding her 6-month-old son in the lap as she stands near her family's table. Her 15-year-old daughter and 53-year-old sister with special needs is seen sitting on the table.
The woman, who runs a Georgia non-profit, said a waitress who works there "asked for a noose" in front of her and her daughter. She further stated that when asked to speak to the manager, he reportedly said he "has two nooses in his car."
"Ma'am, can I get my ticket to go?" Tabor-Fells is seen asking an employee in the video. "Because Little Miss Thing says she needs a noose. And we're the only Black people in here, and the manager said he has two nooses in his car. So we're getting the h*** up outta here," Tabor-Fells is seen stating in the video as she pans the cameras towards the staff at the outlet. The incident took place on Nov.7
WSB TV2 said that according to Tabor-Fells' attorney, when she approached the waitress again to ask if she did have a noose in her car, the waitress replied, "Yeah, I got a noose."
Investigation Ordered by Waffle House
Following the backlash after the viral video, Waffle House issued a statement claiming that they would be conducting an investigation in to the incident. "At Waffle House, we take allegations such as this one very seriously," the company said in a statement. "We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination based on race. Instead, we believe in an inclusive, welcoming environment for all of our customers and Associates and a culture of acceptance and mutual respect,"
"We intend to conduct a thorough investigation into all of her allegations, after which we will take appropriate disciplinary action," read the statement.
The video also shared on multiple social media platforms by the users. "@WaffleHouse so you have no problem with a waitress and manager asking for a noose when it comes to a melting pot of a family! You will NOT see another $ or penny from my melting pot of a family!!!" tweeted a user.
"@WaffleHouse is it customary to tell your customers your going to need a noose? Is it customary for the manager to tell customers he has two noose in his car? Store unit 885 in Gainesville, GA. This is completely unexplainable!" wrote another.
