Two employees at a DeKalb County Waffle House have been fired after they were seen on video pouring food on a passed-out customer and making him appear to dance.
“We have been in contact with the customer and have apologized,” company spokesman Pat Warner said in a statement. “When we learned of this event, we launched an investigation, and have terminated the employees involved. Their actions in no way represent our company or our thousands of associates who strive to provide our customers with a positive experience daily.”
The victim's fianceé, who asked not to be identified, told Channel 2 Action News the man did not know he had been humiliated until the video was shared to a now private Instagram page featuring similar videos of other customers at a location off Evans Mill Road in Lithonia.
"As soon as I saw it, I was in awe, and I busted out crying,” she told the news station in an exclusive interview.
In the video shared with Channel 2, the employees were seen pouring salt on the man’s head as he rested it on a counter. They topped the salt with a slice of cheese and a squirt of ketchup.
At another point in the video, a male employee was seen taking hold of the customer’s arms and making him dance. While there were others working on Jan. 2, only two employees were directly involved, Warner said.
The customer told the news station he was unaware of the entire incident. He went to the Waffle House early that morning to sober up.
“He went to go and get his head together, get his mind straight,” his fianceé said. “He passed out during that time and they took advantage of him.”
When he woke up, he ordered food, paid and walked home, he said. His fianceé thinks there may be more victims who never knew the employees were having a laugh at their expense. She would like to see them fired.
“Half of the people who are on this page don’t even know they are being exposed at the moment,” she said.
The victim filed a report with DeKalb police on Jan. 7 for simple battery. DeKalb police told AJC.com on Friday the victim ultimately decided not to seek prosecution.
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