The general manager of Cracker Barrel in Maryland and two other employees were fired after a group of students with disabilities was denied tables, according to the restaurant chain.
The company said it conducted a thorough internal investigation after the students, who have developmental and learning disabilities, were not seated at the restaurant while taking part in a life-skills learning program with teachers.
In a community email, Charles County Public Schools Superintendent Maria Navarro wrote 11 students and seven staff members visited a Cracker Barrel in Waldorf after notifying the restaurant in advance of the group’s size and purpose. They were told they did not need a reservation.
When they arrived, they were declined service, and a restaurant employee requested it be removed from the list of businesses willing to participate in the program, known as community-based instruction, the superintendent said.
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“It broke my heart,” said Dustin Reed, whose 7-year-old daughter is nonverbal.
The group was able to place a carryout order.
“Pushed off to the side, and just not even paid attention to,” Reed said. “Only thing they wanted to go in there to do was eat some food and enjoy their time there and learn from it.”
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In a statement released by the company, they said executives met with teachers of the school and the parent community to address their worries accordingly.
"These actions include completing an internal investigation with guest and employee interviews, separating three members of the store’s team, including the General Manager, moving forward with specialized training for all employees at this particular store, and bolstering the already robust training we provide to managers nationwide," the company statement said.
Reed and Johnna Penrod comforted their daughter after she returned from the outing.
“Even though she can’t speak, you still talk to her like she can understand you, because she can,” Reed said.
A Cracker Barrel spokesperson previously issued a statement to News4 that read, in part, “A staffing challenge that day led to the closure of part of our second dining room, creating confusion that impacted the group’s experience. We take this matter seriously and are working directly with the group’s leadership to better understand what happened, extend our apologies, and make things right.”
Since news of this incident became public, a number of Charles County businesses have stepped forward and volunteered to take part in this valuable life-skills program.
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