A woman took issue when a barista at a San Diego Starbucks refused to serve her because she was not wearing a mask.
"Meet lenen from Starbucks who refused to serve me cause I'm not wearing a mask," Amber Lynn Gilles posted in a since-deleted Facebook post June 22, according to Today.com. "Next time I will wait for cops and bring a medical exemption."
Credit: Amber Lynn Giles via Facebook/Screenshot
Credit: Amber Lynn Giles via Facebook/Screenshot
According to a San Diego County health order, people are required to wear face coverings in many public places as of May 1 to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Under the health order, customers are "required to wear face coverings at all other times" at restaurants when not eating or drinking and when at a table with non-household members.
Face coverings are mandatory inside businesses in San Diego County. Public Health officials said businesses have the right to refuse service to anyone not complying with the public health order. Medical conditions that would be inhibited by face masks are one of the few exemptions to wearing face masks.
Gilles’ post received 133,000 comments and nearly 50,000 shares. Many comments were asking how they could support the barista, named Lenin Gutierrez.
On June 23, Gilles seemed to double down, posting on her Facebook page, "I am not scarred or bothered ... not so sorry you losers got nothing better to do. thanks for the ratings you all act like the terrorist organization you are."
Matt Cowan, who Today.com reported doesn't know either Gilles or Gutierrez, started a GoFundMe to send virtual tips to the barista.
More than $44,000 has been raised as of June 26, with more donations coming in.
"I just wanted to say thank you for all the love and support and what everyone is doing is an honor to see all this happen," Gutierrez said in a video update posted on the GoFundMe page. "But I just wanted to remind everyone to be kind to one another, and to love each other and always remember to wear a mask."
Gutierrez has not commented on the matter beyond the GoFundMe update video and a June 24 video post on his Facebook page. In that video, he also explained the incident from his point of view.
“Before I could say anything she flipped me off and said I don’t need one and she started cursing up a storm,” he said. “She started calling people sheep and she left and within a few minutes came back and she asked for my name and took a photo.”
Gutierrez said Gilles continued to be upset and said she would be contacting Starbucks at the corporate level before she left for good.
Gutierrez went on to thank people for their support, adding he will use the funds to support his goals of being a dancer and teach dance to young people.
For her part, Gilles now says she’s getting death threats and she wants some of the money raised by the GoFundMe.
"I never threatened him, I just called him out on his actions," she told NBC San Diego. "I never threatened him, and I've received death threats, thousands, it's very upsetting. It's very scary."
NBC San Diego reported 35-year-old Gilles, who considers herself an anti-vaxxer, says the masks are not effective.
“It starts with coffee, but it ends with digital certificates and forced vaccinations,” she said.
Gilles is threatening to sue Cowan, who created the GoFundMe page, for defamation and slander.
Starbucks had not commented about the incident as of this story’s publication.
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