Man denied service at Ann Arbor Smoothie King for wearing Trump shirt says he's getting threats
Man denied service over Trump shirt
Two workers at an Ann Arbor Smoothie King are out of jobs after allegedly refusing service to a couple because of a Trump shirt.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - The man who was refused service at an Ann Arbor Smoothie King for wearing a President Trump shirt is speaking out on camera for the first time. The video of two employees telling him and his wife to leave has gone viral.
Big picture view:
Erika Lindemyer recorded the encounter after her and Jacob Lindemyer say the employees at the smoothie shop on Jackson Road told them they weren't comfortable serving them because he had a hoodie with President Donald Trump's name on it.
Michigan Smoothie King employees fired after denying service to customer wearing Trump shirt
Two workers at an Ann Arbor Smoothie King are out of jobs after allegedly refusing service to a couple because of a Trump shirt.
In the video, the couple was heard telling the employees that what they were doing is discrimination and a crime, while the employees replied that they don't have to serve them.
Jacob goes on to say he goes there all the time, but he was denied his smoothie. What he says he has received instead are death threats.
"My kids aren’t in school right now. We’ve kept our kids home," said Lindemyer. "My daughter is getting harassed. Her safety is being threatened. She’s getting death threats. She and I are getting messages saying, ‘You better watch your back. We know where you live.’ And this is like thousands and thousands of messages. We’ve worked so hard to get where we’re at now. I’m entirely different than I used to be. A lot of these people are trying to bring up my past, like things from ten years ago, ‘Look, this is who he is.’ My character has been completely smashed."
The other side:
Smoothie King says the franchise owner took action and the two employees involved are no longer with the business.
Both the franchise owner and Smoothie King Corporate reached out to apologize. The local owner is also enforcing mandatory retraining for all employees that outlines guest experience standards.
"They got rid of these people. That’s good for them, but what about us now?" he said. "Our lives are literally changed. Our kids aren’t even going to school right now because I’m worried for their safety. We’re just sitting there, thrown by the wayside."
Lindemyer says he and his family are just looking for safety and the freedom to wear what they want.