A restaurant in Baltimore fired two of their managers after a viral video showed employees refuse service to a black boy wearing casual clothing.
Dallas Greene, 9, made national news Tuesday after being turned away from Ouzo Bay restaurant, an upscale Greek restaurant, claiming he does not follow the restaurant’s dress code.
His mother, Marcia Grant, captured the confrontation on her camera and posted the footage on Facebook.
The video shows Dallas wearing an Air Jordan t-shirt with athletic shorts and sneakers, while another customer, a white boy, is seen wearing a similar outfit and was dining outside the restaurant.
The Atlas Restaurant Group, owner of Ouzo Bay, released a statement Wednesday and said that they have “launched an assertive internal investigation” which yielded to the termination of the two restaurant managers.
“They have been separated from and are no longer with the organization. To reiterate, there is a level of sensitivity, discretion, and customer service we expect from our managers and all who represent the Atlas brand,” the company said.
The company earlier released an initial apology on Monday, calling the incident “incredibly disturbing.”
“We are sickened by this incident. We sincerely apologize to Marcia Grant, her son and everyone impacted by this painful incident,” the company said in the statement.
“I can’t really say why they wouldn’t let me in the restaurant originally. But once I pointed out to the guy that there was a white kid there with similar dress, I can only imagine that it was based on the fact that Dallas was Black,” Grant said in an exclusive interview.
“I kept on insisting that, you know, the white kid has the same thing that Dallas has on, why won’t you let my son in,” she added. ”He just would not, regardless of how hard I pushed for [Dallas].”