A video that has been circulating on social media lately appears to show a Dunkin’ Donuts worker named Shakeen Robbins from a Syracuse, New York branch of the restaurant pouring a pitcher of water over a sleeping customer who was identified as Jeremy Dufresne and accusing him of spending too much time in the restaurant.
The worker then continues to laugh at the man’s panicked state as he rushes to gather his things, including a smartphone and a charger.
The employee appears to be accompanied by another person who is not seen in the video but can be heard laughing alongside him at the distress of the sleeping customer.
Reports indicate that the other man is an employee of the restaurant as well.
A spokesperson for Dunkin’ Donuts initially commented on the situation, explaining that the men’s behavior does not represent the company’s values, and that they had since been suspended from their positions until more clarity was brought into the situation.
The controversy has drawn a lot of negativity towards the employees from various groups advocating for the rights of homeless people, although it does not seem like anyone is actually angry at the franchise itself.
The two employees had remained unidentified and had not made any comments on the situation from their perspectives until a few days later.
It did not seem like it was a smart move for either of them to speak up too much at this point anyway, as outrage over the situation has been growing at a steady rate and it does not look like this incident is going to be forgotten anytime soon.
Moreover, the Dunkin’ Donuts got fired and forced to apologize after the media got all over the story. Robbins will not face criminal charges and will have to perform 75 hours of community service.
The homeless man supported this decision.
