Three Texas women involved in a fight with a New York City hostess are claiming that racial slurs were used against them, NBC News reports.
The altercation at Carmine’s Italian, which was previously reported to be over a vaccine-related dispute, involved one hostess and customers Kaeita Rankin, 44, her niece Tyonnie Rankin, 21, and a friend, Sally Lewis, 49.
Attorneys for the women and a spokesperson for the restaurant shared that all three women showed proof of vaccination and sat down before the dispute began. However, the restaurant’s spokesperson says that three men who joined them later failed to provide proof of vaccination, which is required to dine indoors in NYC. The women’s attorneys claim that the three men had their cards, but two lacked additional ID needed.
The six customers were then ready to leave when a manager decided to allow them to dine, Rankin’s lawyer, Justin Moore, and lawyer Javier Solano, who represents all three women, shared. They say a hostess then used a racial slur.
“This hostess was exhibiting some hostile aggression toward the three women, separate from this vaccine narrative that’s been put out to the public,” Moore said. “A racial slur was uttered numerous times by the hostess, and one of the women claims the hostess called her a monkey.”
A restaurant spokesperson argues that the men were not allowed to enter and that the hosts working that night did not use a racial slur.
“Three female guests in the party who had shown proof of vaccination and been welcomed into the restaurant without issue then launched an entirely unprovoked, brutal attack on our hosts, one of whom continues to suffer from a concussion,” a restaurant statement reads. “None of the attackers offered any reason for their attack. None of the hosts — all of whom are people of color — uttered a racial slur. “
According to NBC News, the women received “desk appearance tickets alleging third-degree misdemeanor assault” and are set to see a judge in New York next month, as their defense attorney says he hopes “cooler heads prevail.”
Since the incident, Carmine’s has shared better-quality footage of last week’s scuffle, showing several people trying to break up the altercation as hair was being pulled. Black Lives Matter protesters visited the location in the Upper West Side on Monday to protest the treatment of the three women.
