A Whataburger employee who refused to serve two police officers in Lewisville, Texas has been fired.
According to WFAA8, a Dallas ABC affiliate, Officers Michael Magovern and Cameron Beckham were in uniform when an employee claiming to be a manager said “We don’t serve police officers.”
The company released a full statement on the employee’s termination:
“We were appalled to hear of an employee refusing service to two officers, as we have proudly served first responders across our system for decades. As soon as we heard of this isolated incident, we began our own internal investigation overnight. The employee that refused service is no longer employed with Whataburger. We’ve also invited the officers back today so we can apologize in person and make this right.”
The former employee told WFAA8 that his refusal to serve the officers was a joke. The incident is reminiscent of a similar firing at a Florida Arby’s where a manager was terminated and a clerk suspended after an officer was allegedly denied service for being a cop. The clerk in that instance also claimed the refusal to serve the officer was a misunderstood joke.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com