A Black Chick-fil-A customer who made headlines after sharing that he was called a racist slur on an order receipt has responded to social media users calling it a mistake.
Earlier this month, 52-year-old Maryland resident Marquise Vanzego went viral on social media after he shared a receipt he had received after visiting the La Plata Chick-fil-A restaurant on August 23.
In a letter to Chick-fil-A's head office, Vanzego revealed that he had placed an order with a teenage employee - who he later described to TODAY as a "young white male" - for some chicken strips, fries, and a drink.
However, despite placing the order "clearly" and face-to-face (stressing that it was not over an intercom system), Vanzego was left "humiliated" when he discovered that the 'guest name' on the receipt had been filled out as "Monkeys" - a derogatory slur used against Black people.
Sharing a video to Instagram, the angry and upset customer shared the moment he confronted the manager over the ticket, telling her that he clearly said his name was Marquise.
Vanzego also shared a video of the moment he confronted staff inside of the restaurant, as he told them he wanted to speak to the young employee - until he was told he would not be able to do so.
In his letter to the company - again, shared to his social media page - Vanzego claims that the restaurant's owner told him that the staff member who took his order would not be fired as he was under 18 and says he simply misheard Vanzego.
Since sharing his story and taking part in interviews with TODAY and NBC4 - where he once again called for the employee to be fired and learn "that there are consequences when you do things like that" - some people have come to the defense of the worker.
"I was with you until you said your name. It was an honest mistake," one person commented on his post.
A second Instagram user added: "I actually think it was a mistake. I think this is one to let go. Your name could be mistaken in an environment with a lot of noise and possibly a first time hearing that name could be mistaken. I really don’t think it was on purpose especially when you look at the make up of that store."
"Looks to be an accident why is the world so sensitive about everything," a third typed.
Now, Vanzego has also added a comment to his piece to add further context to his complaint.
"I’ve read a few of the comments, but not all and let me say that I’m not looking for anyone or everyone to agree with the way I’m handling this situation," he begins. "If you read the letter you will clearly see the owner stood with the 17yr old team [member's] actions, not the manager on duty at the time.
"Additionally you can call it a mistake or say that I didn’t pronounce my name correctly, but in my entire life I have never knew any one of any race to name their child Monkey."
In response to his further comment, Vanzego has received an outpouring of support, with one person agreeing with him, writing: "Your experience is very valid, and I applaud you for standing up and voicing your concerns in a constructive manner."
And another wrote: "In this day and age, even if he THOUGHT he heard 'Monkey' he should have clarified until he got it straight."
Per NBC4, officials from the La Plata Chick-fil-A branch declined the opportunity to comment on the incident, but the corporate office has issued the following statement: "This Chick-fil-A is independently franchised and operated. The franchisee of this restaurant has apologized to the guest.
"However, this experience does not meet our expectations and is unacceptable."
Vanzego also told the news station that he is considering filing a federal lawsuit against Chick-fil-A for discrimination.
"I won't be going back to the Chick-fil-A any longer," he said. "Racism is still alive."
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