Warning: This article contains discussion of racism which some readers may find distressing

A video has gone viral showing a customer confronting staff at Chick-fil-A after discovering a racist slur on his receipt. The incident occurred at Chick-fil-A LaPlata in Maryland.

When the customer received his receipt, he noticed that a racial slur had been written at the top. Outraged by this hateful act, he calmly confronted the staff at the restaurant. Filming the encounter, he requested to speak with the person responsible for the racist comment. However, he was informed that the employee had already left.

Determined to address this issue, the customer vowed to make the video go viral as he found the incident completely unacceptable. The employee offered to provide him with the manager’s contact information.

To express his frustrations further, the customer, Marquise Vanzego, wrote an open letter addressed to the CEO of Chick-fil-A, Andrew T. Cathy. In the letter, he explained that he had placed his order at the drive-thru and identified himself as Marquise. He was shocked and horrified when he saw the racial slur on his receipt.

Upon entering the restaurant, he spoke to a person who identified herself as a manager. She apologized and acknowledged that the slur used was not even remotely close to his name. Marquise expressed how deeply offensive and humiliating it was for him, a 52-year-old African American male, to be subjected to such racial discrimination.

He wrote, “This racist and derogatory labeling is not only deeply offensive but also humiliating as a 52-year-old African American adult male. The sheer hurt of seeing that word takes me back to a painful history, one where my ancestors endured the same dehumanizing racism that was meant to strip away their dignity. The fact that such a vile slur was used so casually in this day and age is a stark reminder that the trauma of those times is still very much alive.”

Marquise also described a phone conversation with a manager who stated that the employee responsible for the slur was 17 years old. The manager defended the employee, saying that he had written down the name he thought he heard Marquise say, and therefore, his job would not be terminated.

Chick-fil-A responded to the incident, stating that while the franchisee of the restaurant had apologized to the guest, this experience did not meet their expectations and was considered unacceptable.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Racial Equity Support Line on 503-575-3764, available weekdays from 10am to 7pm PT. Or via the Lines for Life Equity Team at [email protected].