Following an apology issued Friday in response to a video showing employees at a California coffee shop blocking a Jewish woman from a restroom while making anti-Israel comments, the owners say they terminated the employees allegedly involved in the incident.
According to Fox News, Amy and Chris Hillyard who own Farley’s in Oakland, expressed their regret on Instagram following the incident.
“On Sunday, we fell short of this vision. What began as a civil dialogue between our staff and a Jewish customer escalated into a situation that was shocking and unacceptable. Events like these strike fear in the Jewish community and perpetuate the rise of anti-Semitism in our community and around the world.”
“We do not tolerate any behavior at Farley’s that makes people feel unwelcome or unsafe. Because this act was not aligned with our values, the employees involved in the incident are no longer employed by Farley’s,”
In footage captured by a customer, three employees were seen positioned between another customer and the bathroom door. The customer had initially entered the restroom, left, and then went back into the restroom to document antisemitic graffiti.
The employees purportedly tried to obstruct the woman from recording the graffiti inside the bathroom, with messages such as “Zionism = fascism” inscribed on the mirror above the sink and “Your neutrality/apathy is enabling genocide” on a diaper-changing station.
Meanwhile, KRON 4 reports that employees, both “former and present,” are slamming the coffee shop owners, claiming that Chris Hillyard knew about the graffiti in the bathroom and allowed it to remain there for two months.
“The narrative is that they denied her entry because she is a Jewish woman,” the employees said in a statement. “That is a lie.”
They added that the person who recorded the video “verbally confronted and harassed staff regarding the graffiti” and wouldn’t leave when asked.
“Three more of us have resigned, disgusted that our colleagues have unjustly been punished by the Hillyards when they are the ones bearing the brunt of harassment,” the employees’ statement continued.
The coffee shop owners reportedly responded only after Farley’s received an influx of one-star reviews. The employees’ statement added that the owners initially justified the staff’s harassment in the video, despite being aware of the graffiti.
A statement on Farley’s East Yelp page notes that the platform’s support team is now monitoring the business for reviews related to the incident.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Google Maps]
