Arlington waiter fired after racist remarks show up on receipt
ARLINGTON -- It was supposed to be a night of new memories in a new year with six old friends.
"At the end it kinda ruined it for us," said Ta'les Russell.
And what ruined it is spelled out in black and white on paper.
"All capital letters, just right there. I just did a double take. I was like, 'Wow.' It was just a shock to me," said Justyce Hill.
The word "N---" was typed on receipts to describe six black friends who came to Shatila Lebanese Grill and Hookah for New Year's celebrations.
"I went to sleep thinking about it; went to sleep upset about it and woke up upset about it," said Jasmine Tucker.
After the group asked their server for separate checks, the server labeled them in the most disgusting way. Hill tells News 8 they tried to confront the busy server. They said they "tried not to make it a big deal."
Russell says they tried to pull the server to the side and ask him politely about the receipt.
"He just kinda downplayed it. He said, 'Oh no no no…I didn't mean anything by it,'" recounted Tucker.
"We're being labeled. This is what they identified us as, and not the three girls and three guys," said Russell.
News 8 sat down with an embarrassed owner of Shatila.
"I'm just sorry man…I'm just sorry," said Mike Salame.
The friends had just come from a New Year's Eve church service. They wanted to celebrate together, but instead they left shocked and disappointed.
"Knowing me I would have acted a fool if I didn't have my head on straight," said J'Vaughn Flippin.
Salame says that server was only there a week. He had already received two complaints and Salame says he was waiting for this third strike.
"It's very very improper. There is no exceptions at all. That's why when I found out, on the spot, I terminated him…on the spot," Salame said.
He adds that he has reached out to the friends and apologized. News 8 contacted the server whose first name is printed on the receipt as "Ragheed." Salame described him as an 18-year-old of Syrian descent.
When News 8 posed questions to Ragheed, he told us his only comment would be "My bad."
Justyce Hill says it's not the way she wanted to start 2015.
"They made the wrong judge of character with us. We are not that and we don't call each other that," said Hill.
They'll admit it stings a lot worse now, many hours removed. They wouldn't change how they reacted, especially after just hearing a New Year's church message on forgiveness and staying positive.
"We handled ourselves the way we were taught how to handle ourselves. I would forgive him," said Hill.
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