A Missouri Applebee’shas been shutdown days after it fired three employees following allegations of racial profiling, KSHB reports.
Employees have been offered jobs at other locations. Three employees involved with the racial profiling incident were previously fired. A spokesperson for the chain did not give a specific reason for the closure of the Independence Center mall location. Teryn Johnson, an employee of the Applebee’s in question says, “I was told to come into work Thursday morning in uniform,” but when Johnson got there "the big trucks were out there removing the sign. I knew that was a sign.”
Last weekend, a woman uploaded a video to Facebook, where she alleged the restaurant and mall staff racially profiled her and her friend. According to a police report, a manager at the restaurant told the cops that the two women “[were] responsible for failing to pay for their meal on a prior occasion.” The women were subsequently approached by restaurant and mall staff, and that’s when one of them began taping the incident. In the video, one of the women can be heard crying, insisting they hadn’t been to the restaurant before. The exchange caught the attention of other diners and staff. As the police report reads, “by this time, all activities in the restaurant stopped. Customers stopped eating and workers were completely distracted.” Soon after, the two women were asked to leave. Reportedly, they have hired an attorney.
The City of Independence and the Independence Police Department released the following statement regarding the incident: "Since the event transpired on Friday, the officer’s professional conduct has been carefully and thoughtfully reviewed by the Professional Standards Unit to compliance with departmental policy. The City of Independence does not comment on any findings or outcomes with regard to the matters of personnel."
