PHOENIX — A restaurant in downtown Phoenix is under fire, accused of mishandling a situation involving a racial slur.
Civil rights activists want to know why a server at Breakfast Club at CityScape in downtown Phoenix who put the n-word on an order ticket wasn't fired.
Reverend Jarrett Maupin led a handful of protesters Tuesday morning demanding the restaurant terminate the employee. The restaurant's CEO came out to talk about the situation and Maupin confronted him about the ticket.
"We have a zero-tolerance policy for racism downtown," Maupin said.
But restaurant CEO Ernie Vega said they've already handled it internally. Instead of losing his job, Vega wants his employee to gain some insight.
"That person has been notified that if it ever happens again they would be terminated," Vega explains. "We care about people but we also don't want to just write people off who made a bad choice at one point in time."
There were actually two employees involved, although only one typed in the slur. They told their managers it was intended to be a joke.
"Absolutely we don't condone what was written on this ticket," assured Vega. "We think that was a horrible thing done by an employee. There was disciplinary action for two employees both verbally and in writing."
Rakevion White was the employee who brought the ticket to his managers' attention when it happened last month. He said he's still offended.
"I feel uncomfortable coming into work knowing I'm a joke to people I was comfortable around day by day," White explained. "And there's nothing being done for that. "
But Vega said he talked with his employees, including White, after this came out.
"He and I have had several conversations after the event," Vega said. "I always thought they were very good. He told me he wasn't really that upset with the individual."
After the confrontation, Reverend Maupin and the handful of protesters went to the Breakfast Club bar for a sit-in protest. It lasted hat lasted less than an hour with words exchanged, but there was no resolution.
Before the protesters left, they made plans to meet with restaurant management Wednesday to talk about the situation and the best way to move forward.