Cracker Barrel Fires Employees Who Sparked Outrage After Refusing to Serve Special Needs Kids

A Maryland Cracker Barrel fired three of its employees, including a general manager, after the branch allegedly refused to seat 11 schoolchildren with special needs, turning them and seven teachers away.

"Senior Cracker Barrel executives met on Monday with leadership and teachers from the school as well as the parent community to hear their concerns directly. We also shared actions we have taken ... to address recent missteps at that store locations," Cracker Barrel's media relations team said on Wednesday. "These actions include completing an internal investigation ... separating three members of the store's team, including the general manager."

The group of students and teachers from Charles County Public Schools went to the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store on Robert S. Crain Highway on Dec. 3 as part of an initiative called community-based instruction, through which children with special needs can practice their social skills. After being refused seating, the group waited for over an hour to receive their food in to-go containers in order to be able to eat outside, reported 11 Alive.

"The alleged treatment of CCPS students and staff at Cracker Barrel is one that no one should experience," CCPS Superintendent Maria Navarro said last Thursday. "However, it is encouraging that the district manager said the business would be willing to work with CCPS to do better."

According to Cracker Barrel, while its staff admittedly made mistakes in not following protocol, they did not discriminate against the students due to their special needs. Cracker Barrel also clarified that the group was not refused service.

"We did not refuse service to this student group," Cracker Barrel's media relations team said on Wednesday. "But operational breakdowns caused by staffing shortages and poor communication on our part led us to fall well short of our service standards that day."

However, Superintendent Navarro pointed out that the group had called the restaurant beforehand in order to plan the scheduled visit, and had communicated the purpose of the visit to restaurant staff, as well as how many people would be in the attending party.

"Charles County Public Schools staff notified the establishment of the planned visit, including how many were in the party," Superintendent Navarro told parents and community members on Thursday. "... CCPS staff were reportedly told by restaurant staff that no reservations were necessary."