Restaurant chain Cracker Barrel has been making headlines after specially abled students were denied service at the restaurant. A group of disabled pupils and staff members went to one of the chain’s restaurants in Waldorf, Maryland, and were turned away.
This led to a hue-and-cry followed by a protest, eventually leading to three employees' termination. The students were from Charles County Public Schools (CCPS). After the incident, Superintendent Maria V. Navarro released a statement mentioning that 11 students and seven staff members visited the restaurant on December 3, 2024.
The visit was a part of the community-based instruction (CBI) program, and the restaurant was informed about it well in advance. The school's staff members had already notified the restaurant of the number of visitors. However, they were told that no prior reservation was needed.
Despite that, when they visited the Cracker Barrel restaurant, they were declined. The visitors were allegedly asked not to include the restaurant in their future CBI programs. Nonetheless, the students and the staff members were able to place a carry-out order.
The CBI program helps students hone their skills in the community. They often carry out trips, some of which include visiting local retail stores and restaurants.
The incident has also sparked outrage from parents, some of whom have spread the word about the incident through Facebook posts. One of the guardians, who has a Facebook account by the name of Stacey Campbell, attached screenshots of a letter with the caption:
“I wanted to share my sons ACHIEVE CBI trip to the Crackel Barrel in Waldorf experience that his teacher sent details regarding how discriminatory the entire staff was towards the group. To say I'm beyond disappointed would be an understatement. Though I would go there from time to time, I will never spend another cent in that establishment.”
Servers at Cracker Barrel were allegedly rude to the staff members and ignored the students
Stacey Campbell’s Facebook post also mentions several other details from that day. The letter attached to the post mentioned that the servers and hosts at Cracker Barrel behaved rudely with the staff members about the number of visitors. Even though the visitors agreed to spread over multiple tables, they were not allowed to do so.
“Unfortunately, they denied us the service of being able to sit and be served in the restaurant even after multiple conversations with the staff about how only the students would be eating, and we would be in separate groups.”
Cracker Barrel servers allegedly continued their rude behavior towards the staff members besides ignoring the students they did not serve.
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The Superintendent’s statement appreciated the retailers and restaurants offering their locations as future CBI sites for CCPS students. It also acknowledged the school staff's prompt response in addressing the incident, ensuring the emotional well-being of students, and keeping families informed. Cracker Barrel had initiated an internal investigation and apologized for the incident.
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