A general manager and two other employees were dismissed from a Cracker Barrel in Waldorf, Maryland, after the restaurant sparked outrage over its treatment of special education students who were visiting on a field trip.
Charles County Public Schools District Superintendent Maria Navarro said in a statement last week that a group of 11 students and seven staff members were “refused service” at Cracker Barrel. The group was told the restaurant couldn’t accommodate them and was asked to remove the location from an approved list of places for such field trips, special education teacher Katie Schneider told parents in an email.
Cracker Barrel said dismissing the workers from the company was the “best path forward,” a spokesperson told USA TODAY, adding that senior executives on Monday met with district leadership, teachers and parents to discuss how the group was treated at the restaurant.
The students, who attend Dr. James Craik Elementary School, belong to the district’s ACHIEVE program, for students with “significant cognitive disabilities” and the SOAR program, for students with autism.
The visit was a part of the school’s community-based instruction, which allows students to perform practical skills and socialize with the public, outside of the classroom.
Parents have organized a protest at the restaurant, set to occur this weekend, and the Waldorf Cracker Barrel has been flooded with negative reviews on Yelp. Individuals from across the country have also taken to social media to share their support for affected parents, with some expressing plans to “boycott” the franchise.
Cracker Barrel calls service ‘unacceptable,’ opens internal investigation
In a statement provided to USA TODAY, a Cracker Barrel spokesperson pushed back on Navarro’s claim that the school group was refused service at the restaurant, adding that a staffing shortage led to the closure of the restaurant’s second dining room.
