A Wisconsin Cinnabon employee lost her job after a video surfaced showing her using a racial slur against a Somali couple. The footage, which went viral over the weekend, captured the employee engaged in a confrontational exchange with the couple.
In the clip, the Ashwaubenon Cinnabon worker openly claims, “I’m a racist,” while defending her actions with a mischievous smile. It’s jarring to hear someone say something like that, right? She even tells the couple, “I’m going to say it to the whole world.”
Things escalated when the couple filming expressed concern that her words could harm their lives. Instead of backing down, she responded with an offensive gesture, showing them her middle fingers.
The man filming, seemingly incredulous, tells her, “Mom, you’re fired from here. You’re not going to work here.”
The employee’s dismissive reaction—“No way”—came with her also making provocative gestures. How unsettling is that? When the man questioned her behavior, she shot back, “What’s wrong with you, you ugly woman?”
He made a point, replying, “Are you talking about ugliness?” The original footage suggests that the altercation began when the employee mocked the female customer’s hijab as they entered the store.
Cinnabon confirmed the incident on Saturday, stating they had responded to the alarming language directed at customers. In a statement, the company affirmed, “We do not condone this behavior,” emphasizing that the employee was immediately terminated by the franchise owner.
They further clarified that such actions fall far short of their values and the hospitality that all customers deserve.
Following the incident, a crowd-funding page initiated to support the fired employee seems to have been removed amid the controversy. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign has garnered over $1,000 from 27 contributors for her.
This incident unfolds against a backdrop of rising racial tensions towards Somali immigrants in Minnesota and Wisconsin, especially after recent remarks by President Trump branding them as “trash that destroyed our country.”
Such comments were tied to discussions around a COVID-19 fraud scandal, where White House officials specifically pointed fingers at Somali immigrants for substantial welfare fraud claims.
