Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Crump announced a lawsuit against Waffle House Corp. on behalf of Chikesia Clemons.
What We Know:
- Benjamin Crump made the announcement on Wednesday at a press conference in Atlanta. Crump and Clemons claim that their is a “pattern and practice of racism and discrimination against African Americans” at this particular chain of restaurants.
- Crump says Clemons endured a violent arrest and that she was “assaulted”, “choked”, and “brutalized”, by police at a Waffle House location in Alabama last year. Clemons alleges that the restaurant employees made a false claim against her which led to her interaction with the police. The call led Clemons to be assaulted and exposed by police officers.
- Clemons was found guilty for resisting arrest but was not found guilty of disorderly conduct and her jail time was suspended. The footage of the exchange can see in the video below.
- Waffle House spokesperson Pat Warner told the AJC, “As we’ve said previously, we regret this incident happened at all.” He continued via an email statement, “As anyone who has dined with us knows, we have a very diverse customer base and workforce. We have had a culture of inclusion since we opened our doors in 1955, and are very proud of the fact that our restaurants have been open to all.”
The filed claim calls for a judge to require Waffle House to establish policies that will end racial discrimination and Clemons is also suing for unspecified damages.
