- Charles County Public Schools Superintendent Maria V. Navarro said students with special needs were allegedly “refused service” at a Maryland Cracker Barrel on Dec. 3.
- The company said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that the incident occurred “due to our inability to accommodate the group of 18 that arrived,” but apologized for what happened
- “Our missteps last week were unfortunate, but unrelated to the students’ abilities,” Cracker Barrel said.
Cracker Barrel is facing backlash after students with special needs were allegedly denied service at one of the restaurant’s Maryland locations.
The alleged incident occurred Tuesday, Dec. 3, while 11 students and seven staff members were visiting Cracker Barrel in Waldorf, according to a statement from Charles County Public Schools Superintendent Marie V. Navarro.
The group was visiting a “community-based instructional (CBI)” restaurant — which offers students an opportunity “to practice the generalized skills they learn in the community classroom — when Navarro said they were denied service.
The superintendent claimed that members of the school staff were “notified of the planned visit, including how many were at the party” and the purpose of the visit. They were also allegedly told that a reservation was not required.
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But when the group arrived at Cracker Barrel, Navarro claimed, “students and staff refused service and were asked to no longer include the restaurant on their CBI list. The group managed to issue an execution order.”
CCPS staff members have since spoken with the district’s restaurant manager about the incident, during which they expressed concern about the denial of service, according to Navarro.
“No one should have to experience the alleged treatment of CCPS students and staff at Cracker Barrel,” Navarro wrote in her letter. “However, it is encouraging to learn that the district manager said the company would be willing to work with CCPS to make it better.”
The chief said other retailers and restaurants have since reached out “to offer their locations as future CBI sites, with open invitations for CCPS students.”
“I want to thank our staff for their quick action in reporting this incident, supporting the emotional safety of our students and notifying our families,” Navarro continued, adding, “We look forward to hearing from Cracker Barrel.”
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In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Cracker Barrel said the incident occurred “due to our inability to accommodate a group of 18 that arrived when we faced unexpected staffing issues and partially closed our second dining room.”
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“At Cracker Barrel, we strive to create a pleasant environment and a great experience for all of our guests,” the company said. “The fact that we disappointed this group of students and professors during their recent visit is unacceptable for us and we sincerely apologize.
They added: “Our missteps last week were unfortunate, but unrelated to the students’ abilities. … Our failure to follow certain operational protocols combined with poor communication on our part led to misunderstandings and misperceptions.”
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“This group of students and teachers was, is and always will be welcome to have lunch with us,” Cracker Barrel continued. “We are working with them, the school and the parent community to better understand what happened so we can learn from it and do better.”
CCPS staff members offered to work with Cracker Barrel “to provide disability awareness training for their employees,” according to Navarro.
Meanwhile, Navarro said school district officials hope Cracker Barrel “will agree to have the facility serve as a work-based learning site for CCPS students.”
“Our students and staff are our No. 1 priority,” the principal said, “and we are disheartened to learn of the alleged treatment they were subjected to while participating in an activity designed to educate our students using real-world applications.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education