TAMPA, Fla. – Two Burger King customers have filed a lawsuit after claiming they were assaulted by an employee who threw French fries at them and threatened their lives with a box cutter.
Maria Santiago and Gregory Richardson filed the lawsuit on July 5 in Hillsborough County Circuit Court against Burger King Company, LLC, and its employee Lasandra Shiryce Fowler. The plaintiffs allege that on June 26, 2024, they experienced discriminatory and hostile behavior from Fowler at a Burger King restaurant in Tampa.
According to the lawsuit, the situation escalated when Fowler allegedly threw hot fries at them and brandished a box cutter. The plaintiffs claim they were targeted because they are Muslim.
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Richardson stated that he tried to calm Fowler after she displayed hostility towards a Latin American family, which led Fowler to shout obscenities at him and throw hot French fries. The confrontation intensified when Fowler allegedly pulled out a box cutter and swung it at him.
The lawsuit accuses Burger King of negligent hiring, supervision, and retention of Fowler, and accuses Fowler of intentional infliction of emotional distress. Santiago and Richardson are seeking damages exceeding $50,000.
Jonathan Portuondo of Hoss Hernandez in Miami represents the plaintiffs.
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