Friday, June 27, 2014

Another Fake Hate Case?

A gay teen in South Dakota says he quit his job at fast-food chain Taco John's after a manager forced him to wear a name tag reading 'Gaytard' - and now he's looking into legal action.
However, the Yanktown franchise's manager disputes 16-year-old Tyler Brandt's claims, saying he came up with the name-tag nickname himself.

The alleged incident took place Monday night, when Brandt says his 'agitated' and 'verbally abusive' manager pulled him into the office and gave him the name tag with 'Gaytard' on it while laughing. 

So here we have a "he said; he said" situation.  With enough quotes, we can know who is telling the truth.  Unfortunately, media often edits quotes, or leaves us only with their own interpretation of what was said. 

That's not my name: 16-year-old Tyler Brandt says he was forced to wear this name tag at his fast-food job in Yanktown, South Dakota
That's not my name: 16-year-old Tyler Brandt says he was forced to wear this name tag at his fast-food job in Yanktown, South Dakota
Resignation: Brandt (left) says quit his job at Taco John's (right) the morning after his manager made him wear the name tag
Resignation: Brandt (left) says quit his job at Taco John's (right) the morning after his manager made him wear the name tag
Resignation: Brandt (left) says quit his job at Taco John's (right) the morning after his manager made him wear the name tag 
Brandt had been struggling to learn the new job and was afraid to getting fired, so he agreed to wear the name tag. 


'I put it on because I didn't want to upset him and I felt that if I did do anything to upset him, it would cause me to lose my job because he'd be looking for ways to fire me,' Brant told Keloland

We note that he tells why he put it on, but not if he wrote it, or the manager wrote it.  
He then uses the word "felt", which is reduced commitment.  
He then tells us why he "felt" that upsetting the manager would cause him to lose his job:  "he'd be looking for ways to fire me."

"He was looking for ways to fire me" would have been past tense, equaling a stronger commitment. 
Here, the quote is, "he'd be looking" which is future tense.  This reduces commitment. 
 


    He says he spent the night standing behind the till so customers wouldn't see the homophobic slur on his name tag, but Brandt says his manager continued to call him by the name across the store.

    Brandt tried taking off the tag several times, but his manager kept telling him to put it back on. 
    no quotes.  

    Singled out: Brandt, pictured in photo posted to Facebook, says he's looking into suing the franchise for discrimination
    Singled out: Brandt, pictured in photo posted to Facebook, says he's looking into suing the franchise for discrimination
    By 11:30pm, Brandt was so frustrated that he asked how long was left in the shift, at which point the manager yelled and him and told him to
     'Get the f*** out' of the restaurant.
    After talking about the situation with his boyfriend and other friends, Brandt decided to resign the next morning.

    He went into the restaurant to return his uniform but kept the name tag as evidence. 
    However, restaurant manager John Scott says he didn't force Brandt to wear the name tag, and didn't come up with the nickname.

    'He asked the manager to make that name tag for him,' Scott told the Press & Dakotan. 'He (the manager) didn't tell him he had to wear it. (Brandt) put it on himself and created the situation.'

    How bright can the manager be to comply with such a request?  



    But Brandt says that idea is offensive.

    'Do you really think I'd want to go around making a mockery of who I am?' It's really irritating to think someone could believe I would want that label.'

    This is to ask a question and it is not to deny the allegation that he requested the name tag.  

    Self deprecating humor is common.  

    It may be "really irritating" but he does not tell us that it is not true.  

    Taco John's CEO Jeff Linville has since issued a statement, saying the company believes everyone 'should be treated with dignity and respect.

    Imagine how angry the CEO must be, no matter who made the name tag?  


    'We take any accusation of workplace harassment very seriously. The type of discrimination that reportedly took place recently in the Yankton, South Dakota restaurant is deplorable. Such actions will not be tolerated by our company. Taco John’s is committed to doing all we can to make certain nothing like this happens again in any of our restaurants.


    Now both Scott and Brandt are exploring legal action against each other. 


    'I don't think that any person has to put up with what has been going on. I don't think that anybody should have to put up with any kind of discrimination. It's not fair,' Brandt said.

    Note the distancing language.  
    "any person" is not him, specifically.  
    "has been going on" is passive, and not specific. 
    "think" is to reduce commitment. 
    "any kind of discrimination" is generic and not specific. 

    I expect someone to have been humiliated in this manner to speak in a strong, up close and personal manner.  This insult is about sexuality and intellect.  It is a strong insult. 

    His responses do not match the insult. 


    16 comments:

    Demon Monkey said...

    Logically, if this is a lie, it would be a pointless and stupid one. Why? Witnesses. There would be witnesses - customers, co-workers - who should've been able to hear "Hey Gaytard!" across the room. I imagine "GET THE EFF OUT!" would also turn a few heads, gain some attention. I know I'd look over if someone yelled abuse at an employee.

    So if he's lying, there will be no witnesses to these events and the only legal action will be on the claimant. Simple as that. Least he didn't mutilate himself for sympathy/attention/sympathy coin if he is deceptive.

    New England Water Blog said...

    A copycat liar with his own twist on it.

    Really said...

    I don't believe any of them. All are just hoaxes to get money or 15 minutes of fame. Are there any of these type stories that has actually turned out to be true?

    Anonymous said...

    What a crock of crap...only in America. Why would he need "evidence"? Oh yeah, if he was planning to sue....Why would he speak with friends and boyfriend first? To get witnesses lined-up?
    Get rich quick scheme in his eyes.

    He is being deceptive.....

    He says,"it would cause me to lose my job because he'd be looking for ways to fire me,'" Brant told Keloland.
    THEN HE QUITS???? If I wanted to keep a job, I certainly wouldn't quit after being so-called harassed. I would work the job if it meant that much to me.

    Jenny said...

    I think he is making it up. Obviously, the manager is stupid for agreeing to make the name tag, if that is how it happened.

    I'd be interested in camera footage from inside the place. Is he seen acting normal that night or acting sad and hiding out?

    Anonymous said...

    Who could make this stuff up? Gaytard?

    Anonymous said...

    hey can you do the miss delaware pagent lady?

    Anonymous said...

    This claim is ridiculous. In his 'upset' picture it looks like he's forcing hisself to frown, but you can almost see the smile on his face. It doesn't seem like he was a newly hired employee because he was at the till (cash register) all night and when you're in training you have someone training you, often right beside you. And with the little hearts on the name tag framing the slur makes it seem like a joke perpetrated by the employee and manager. Once the employee got home and told his bf and friends (all the while laughing at customers reactions) they figured why not claim hate crime? Talking to a lawyer before talking to the managers boss- there's always someone higher up on the ladder- tells me that its about money, not making things right. Everything the employee says is weak and suspicious especially if a person reading the claim has worked in fast-food.

    Rose said...

    This is the problem with so many managers of places like this - they are only slightly more mature than the employees that they babysit.

    BTW, I once had a job where I had to wear a name tag and it was so freaking humiliating. I hated it so much. There is no need for your employees to wear a name tag. I lived in Germany for over two years and rarely recall seeing people with name tags. It is a degrading and stupid practice. You really do not need to know the name of the person taking your taco platter order.

    Tania Cadogan said...

    Is it just me but why the lovehearts?

    If it was an insult then surely just the word would be enough to maximise the insult.
    The addition of the love heart to my mind minimises it, it softens it.

    if you insult someones sexuality, you don't go around drawing cute little hearts or rainbows or fluffy kittens, by doing that you are softening the insult.

    I can see him doing it himself with the personalised hearts added on.

    Anonymous said...

    Name tags are beneficial in that if there is a problem with an order or with the service, a customer can say who instead of saying 'that girl with blonde hair' or whatever.

    Tania Cadogan said...

    When i am served by someone with a name tag, apart from my usual chitchat with them, asking how they are etc it lets me thanks them personally using their name, thnaks xxx have a great day/ nice evening etc.
    it lets me acknowledge them as who they are not as most folk treat them which is part of the fixtures and fitting , especially checkout staff.

    Plus, if they have unusual or uncommon names it lets me talk about it, asking how they got it etc.
    One of the dispensers in my pharmacy is called Tiberius (his mom loved the romans)

    Wreyeter72 said...

    Anyone else think his "anguished face" is strikingly close to his "happy face?" I wonder if John could point some things out. He looks like h is trying not to laugh, not like he is about to cry.

    Rose said...

    What if the person who is waiting on you does not want to be a on a first name basis with you? What if Jen would rather that you called her Miss Smith? I mean, surely that is everyone's prerogative, right? Oh no, someone up in corporate decided that the little people do not deserve that level of respect.

    Come to think of it, there were a few places in Germany where I saw name tags, but it ALWAYS said Herr/Frau with the last name. In other words, the people were given at least that level of respect when they had to wear a name tag.

    No person should be forced to be on a first name basis with every single customer they come across. It is this erosion of respect that has created the vile labor laws that we have in the U.S.

    Tania Cadogan said...

    Those without name tags will get a hi or thanks honey along with general chitchat

    Rose said...

    Calling a stranger "Honey" and/or asking a stranger what their first name means or how they got it is inappropriate behavior. I guess I am not shocked that people do this anymore, since corporations condone it by putting a person's first name on display to the world.

    Again, it is totally inappropriate and unacceptable to start off calling someone you do not know by their first name unless that person has expressly given you leave to do so. First name name tags are degrading for that reason.