{"id":135630,"date":"2024-12-11T01:21:51","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T18:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=135630"},"modified":"2024-12-11T01:21:51","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T18:21:51","slug":"cracker-barrel-protest-planned-after-it-refused-service-to-students-with-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=135630","title":{"rendered":"Cracker Barrel Protest Planned After It Refused Service to Students With Disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"\">A group of students with disabilities visited a Cracker Barrel in Waldorf, Maryland and were refused service, according to school officials, leading to community outcry and a planned protest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) superintendent Maria V. Navarro <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.finalsite.net\/images\/v1733425379\/ccboecom\/ymuhgq83aw4lkhsr8vbr\/Statement_SuperintendentMariaVNavarroEdD120520241.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote in a Dec. 5 statement<\/a> that 11 students with disabilities and seven staff members visited the restaurant on Dec. 3. The field trip was part of a community-based instruction program meant to hone life skills, including interacting with others in public spaces like retail shops and restaurants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Navarro wrote that, prior to the visit, staff notified the Cracker Barrel location of the group\u2019s plans, including headcount and purpose of the visit. According to CCPS, they were told that no reservation was needed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cUpon arrival, the students and staff were declined service and asked to no longer include the restaurant on its CBI list, \u201cNavarro wrote, adding that the group was able to place a carryout order.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Stacey Campbell, whose 9-year-old son was one of the students involved, shared an email from a CCPS staff member in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1580628378848993\/permalink\/3969789786599495\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook post<\/a>, which offered more details.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWhile waiting, I asked to speak to the manager on duty and the general manager,\u201d reads a portion of the letter, which explained that the group was seated in a closed section in the back of the restaurant while their takeout order was being filled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The CCPS worker said the staff was \u201cblatantly rude\u201d and \u201cignored\u201d all of the students, and once they talked with a general manager, they were told the eatery doesn\u2019t \u201caccommodate to this type of group.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Navarro said, after the incident, staff talked to a Cracker Barrel district manager who wanted to \u201cobtain more information and express concerns\u201d about the students\u2019 treatment at the establishment. She added that the manager said they were willing to work with CCPS \u201cto do better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cThe alleged treatment of CCPS students and staff at Cracker Barrel is one that no one should experience,\u201d Navarro wrote, adding that other retailers and restaurants have reached out to offer their venues for future CCPS student field trips.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWe look forward to hearing from Cracker Barrel,\u201d Navarro ends the letter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cIt broke my heart,\u201d said Dustin Reed, a CCPS parent who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcwashington.com\/news\/local\/pushed-to-the-side-students-with-disabilities-denied-tables-at-cracker-barrel\/3786219\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spoke to NBC affiliate WRC-TV in Washington<\/a> on Dec. 6. Reed added that he and Johnna Penrod have been comforting their 7-year-old daughter, who is nonverbal, since the incident.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cPushed off to the side and just not even paid attention to,\u201d Reed said. \u201cOnly thing they wanted to go in there and to do was eat some food and enjoy their time there and learn from it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cJust because they have different abilities than we do doesn\u2019t mean that they\u2019re less than we are,\u201d Penrod told WRC-TV. \u201cThey deserve to be treated like human beings, they deserve to be loved, they deserve to be cared for. They deserve to have morale given to them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Campbell says the comments allegedly made by the general manager were not shocking but deeply hurtful.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI find it interesting that\u00a0an establishment, which is supposed to be inclusive and welcoming to all, would make such a bold statement,\u201d Campbell tells TODAY.com. \u201cI strongly believe that our children deserve the same level of respect and dignity as any other customer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Cracker Barrel apologized for disappointing the students.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cOur missteps last week were unfortunate but were unrelated to the students\u2019 capabilities,\u201d a representative for Cracker Barrel tells TODAY.com, adding that the refusal of service to the party of 18 was due to staffing issues and a partially closed second dining room.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cOur failure to follow certain operational protocols combined with poor communication on our part then led to misunderstandings and misperceptions,\u201d the rep continued. They said they\u2019re working with the community to learn and do better but did not specify how.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Reed, on the other hand, tells TODAY.com he believes \u201cchildren\u2019s civil rights\u201d were \u201cblatantly ignored and disregarded.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Pernod says their daughter has enjoyed outings at many other locations, including fast-food restaurants, and that the group visited a dollar store before Cracker Barrel that day without incident.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cThere\u2019s nothing that a district manager or someone in their HR department is going to say that is going to fix this. The damage is done,\u201d Pernod tells TODAY.com. \u201cThis isn\u2019t \u2018Oh, I stepped on your toe in the movie theater, I apologize.\u2019 This isn\u2019t that type of thing that you can just sweep underneath the rug with an \u2018I\u2019m sorry,\u2019 in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Reed is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/1695347418060515\/?active_tab=discussion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">planning a protest of the Cracker Barrel location<\/a> where the incident occurred on Dec. 15, and 75 people say they\u2019re interested in attending as of this writing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The discussion board on the event, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dustin.reed.944\/posts\/pfbid02dXpdKTAptWq2RNjhL2LBkdZ37nWBBcAKh93LADHTWUxxprFA1ok17t6bs8P5zZMQl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">other posts<\/a> by Reed, are filled with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dustin.reed.944\/posts\/pfbid02dXpdKTAptWq2RNjhL2LBkdZ37nWBBcAKh93LADHTWUxxprFA1ok17t6bs8P5zZMQl?comment_id=569031419163869\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supportive comments<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dustin.reed.944\/posts\/pfbid02dXpdKTAptWq2RNjhL2LBkdZ37nWBBcAKh93LADHTWUxxprFA1ok17t6bs8P5zZMQl?comment_id=449297424656970\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">outrage<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1580628378848993\/posts\/3969789786599495\/?comment_id=3972218606356613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vows never to visit Cracker Barrel again<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"endmark\">\u201cThis group of students and teachers were, are, and always will be welcome to dine with us,\u201d the Cracker Barrel representative tells TODAY.com. \u201cWe will make things right, and we look forward to earning back their trust and confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.today.com\/food\/news\/cracker-barrel-waldorf-maryland-rcna183465\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A group of students with disabilities visited a Cracker Barrel in Waldorf, Maryland and were refused service, according to school officials, leading to community outcry and a planned protest. Charles &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=135630\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=135630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135630\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=135630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=135630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=135630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}