One woman’s encounter with a Jack In The Box employee has gone viral, receiving widespread attention since a video was released of the employee mocking the woman for being deaf and refusing her service.
ReVae Arnaud-Jensen was simply trying to order food when she was rudely refused service.
Ms Arnaud-Jensen lives in Campbell, California, and was trying to order a meal for her and her son from a Jack In The Box drive through.
However, when she drove through to the window and explained to the service employee that she was deaf, she was treated with hostility and belittled by the employee.
In the video, the employee angrily asks her why she did not order at the speaker.
Ms Arnaud-Jensen carefully explains, “I’m deaf”, and that she needs to order at the window.
The employee initially reponds by saying, “Go to speaker now,” but then quick begins shouting at Ms Arnaud-Jensen to “shut up” and “go!”
When she explains again that she is deaf, he shouts back, “I don’t care. … Go. Go. Go. Go!”
Ms Arnaud-Jensen posted the shocking video to her Facebook page, writing, “Employee of Jack in the Box refused to accept any orders from me. He yelled at me to leave and go drive back to the speaker to order.”
What is perhaps most shocking about the video is that the employee begins mocking her for her disability.
The employee, once Ms Arnaud-Jensen refuses to move, begins laughing and doing mocking hand motions emulating sign language into the camera.
Ms Arnaud-Jensen explained, “[O]nce he realized he was being recorded he changed faces and mockingly gestured at the video. I refused to leave the window until I received an order. Sat there for two hours.”
The video has since been shared over 3,000 times, with people offering their sympathy for what she went through.
Speaking to ABC following the altercation, Ms Arnaud-Jensen said, “I was just fed up, the constant, you know, telling us to go, to go, when it should be equal access.”
The video ends with the employee shutting the window and walking away, refusing to serve her.
Ms Arnaud-Jensen has said that she is intending to pursue legal action against Jack In The Box to try and prevent this kind of discrimination against the deaf community from happening in the future.
“I don’t like confrontation, but I fight for equal access.
“Things done to us, not okay, I will stand and fight for that, for everyone in the community, it’s for you guys, the community, not me but for them, so there will be no more suffering for the deaf community.”
Jack In The Box have claimed that the employee in the video has since been fired.
In a statement released to ABC , the fast food company said:
“We have been informed of the incident that took place between an employee and hearing-impaired guest, in the drive-thru at a Campbell, CA restaurant on August 31st.”
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“We do not tolerate the mistreatment of any customers and expect employees to follow all training procedures, be respectful, courteous and accommodating to all guests […] we understand the employee in the video has been terminated.”
People were quick to condemn the employee’s horrific behavior towards Ms Arnaud-Jensen
Comments on the Facebook video include:
“I’m so sorry that you had to go through all that ReVae. Such a hard video to watch. But I am proud of you for standing your ground and sharing your story!!!”
“This guy needs to be fired!! he cannot treat people like that!!”
This is also not the first time that a story of this nature has hit the headlines in recent time.
Back in August of this year, another deaf woman, one Rachel Hollis, claimed she was refused service at a Burger King drive through window, despite having her order written down when she arrived at the window.
However, when Hollis refused to move from the window, the employee actually called the police on her. In an interview with KFOR , Hollis said, “I’ve never experienced anything like that, for someone to call the police […] it just doesn’t seem right.”
Hopefully, following the attention garnered by Ms Arnaud-Jensen’s video, more will be done by employers to prevent this kind of discrimination.
The 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act , actually “prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.”
However, sadly instances such as this still occur.
h/t: Yahoo Lifestyle