UPDATE 08/14/2020 12:50 P.M. PST: Three people have been arrested after allegedly attacking a 17-year-old Chili’s hostess in Louisiana. A new statement from the Baton Rouge police department says that 48-year-old Tammy Dabney was charged with aggravated second-degree battery, while 27-year-old Rodneka Dabney and 46-year-old Erica Dabney were charged with disturbing the peace and simple battery.
According to People, jail records show that Tammy has been released from custody, and that Erica is in the custody of the Sheriff’s office. They did not indicate whether Rodneka is still in custody.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has already raised four times the goal amount for Kelsy Wallace — who has dreams of becoming a doctor and understandably does NOT intend to return to her job — she shared with the outlet:
“It really has taken an emotional toll on me; not just physically, but emotionally as well.”
We can’t even imagine!!
No one should have to suffer through something as awful this just for doing their job. Period.
Kelsy Wallace, a 17-year-old hostess at a Chili’s restaurant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was allegedly attacked by a group of patrons after she refused to seat the large party of 13 together in accordance with the company’s current COVID-19 policies.
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According to local news affiliate WBRZ, the incident went down over the weekend on Sunday at the Chili’s on Constitution Avenue. Wallace said she informed the diners about their restaurant’s policy and sat six of them down at one table:
“My general manager tells us we’re not supposed to sit a table over 6 because of the coronavirus.”
The teen said that she could not seat the rest of the party at another table because there were still more than six people left, and the group became increasingly upset. Wallace said once she tried to get her manager involved to diffuse the situation, she was attacked.
Describing the sequence of events, as well as her assailants, she reportedly told Baton Rouge Police officers who later responded to the scene:
“She pushed me. And when she pushed me, all I knew was to push her back. I reacted. That’s when her and her daughters, they all came. And they’re grown women. I’m 17-years-old. They’re like, 20, 30, and the woman that pushed me looked like she was 40. So I’m standing there, they’re on me, beating me. I’m standing there trying to hit them, trying to get all of them off me. And the lady she takes a wet floor sign and slams it in my eye. And I had blood rushing everywhere.”
Seriously?! Grown ass women physically assaulted this poor girl for following the rules? The same guidelines put in place to protect people from a highly contagious virus in the middle of this pandemic? WTF! Ugh, just calling them Karens would be too nice for what they really deserve. In addition to the eye injury she suffered, Wallace said she now has a large bald spot in the back of her head from one of the attackers ripping her hair out. How awful!
Thankfully, the hostess is on the mend after an emergency room visit where she got five stitches placed just above her eye near her brow. The emotional damage that has been done, however, will likely last longer than it’ll take for her wounds to heal. She added:
“As I’m laying on the bed, this keeps replaying in my head. I couldn’t believe that. I couldn’t believe I’m trying to work and this happened to me.”
Wallace expressed anger over how the situation was handled. She was taken to the back of the restaurant after suffering the bloody blows and police only arrived after the alleged attackers left in separate vehicles. Placing some blame on her employers, she noted:
“The managers let them walk out. Like, how y’all let them leave like that? I mean, they could have locked the doors until the police came.”
She’s got a point! Though a police report has been filed and surveillance footage of the attack has been obtained, it really sounds like they left her out to dry there. Wallace said she does not plan on returning to work at that Chili’s and wants justice served to those patrons:
“I want them in jail. I don’t think they should get away with this.”
We couldn’t agree more! And a quick PSA to anyone considering dining out: do NOT behave this way when coronavirus protocols are enforced. You should be so lucky that hospitality workers are risking THEIR lives to serve you — if you don’t like the rules, stay the f**k home. Hear more about the young woman’s story (below):
Sending all of our best wishes to this poor girl and we hope she finds a better job soon!
[Image via WWLTV/YouTube]