Racist, Sexist Comment Puts Who Dat’s Drive-Thru in Hot Water

By Talbert Toole
Lifestyles Editor
talbert.toole@hottytoddy.com

*Editor’s Note: This story was updated Tuesday, June 11, at 3:45 p.m.

After a Facebook post by an Ole Miss graduate went viral regarding a receipt she received that stated a racist, sexist comment, Who Dat’s Drive-Thru in Oxford is in hot water with the LOU community.

Who Dat Receipt. Photo submitted. 

On June 7, Washington went through the drive-thru to get a Georgia Peach daiquiri and boiled shrimp; however, upon receiving her order, she also received a message on her receipt from a now terminated employee.

In the description part of the receipt, it read “Black b***es in a silver car.” It wasn’t until Monday, June 10, Washington decided to make a Facebook post regarding the situation. She stated on Facebook that she was waiting to give the establishment an opportunity to right the wrong but nothing had yet been done. She decided to take action on social media, she said.

Washington messaged the drive-thru to see if the employee had been terminated, but she did not receive a response. After her post garnered more than 1,800 reactions, 1,600 comments and 2,600 shares, Who Dat’s owner Wylie Coleman publicly acknowledged the termination of the employee and released a statement.

Screenshot via Facebook.

The statement by Coleman read as:

“A Who Dat’s Drive-Thru employee was terminated immediately from their position upon recognition of a foul identifier used in a transaction ticket on June 7th, 2019. As of Monday June 10, 2019 they are banned from the property in accordance to our new by-laws. A certified letter stating this fact will be posted. The employee responsible did not represent us as a business or personality. We do not feel this way about women or condone any racial identifier. We feel identities of sex & race should be communicated in a formal & professional manner in every place of business & we feel like it is most important to have employees that already have that professionalism behind closed doors. There is no justice to this immediately & we will respond to everyone in time. We apologize about this situation and will grow from it.”

Prior to the release of the statement from Who Dat’s, Washington stated in her Facebook post that she had been racially ridiculed and demeaned as an African American.

“I seek justice for this hate crime and I will no longer remain silent,” Washington stated.

She said in her five years as an Oxford citizen she still has to “deal with this type of ignorance.”

Washington updated her post saying she had no hostility nor was she rude prior to receiving her order and the receipt.

According to a second statement made by Coleman on the Who Dat’s Facebook page Tuesday, Coleman and Washington met for 1 and a half hours Tuesday morning regarding the incident and “discussing a broad range of issues and goals” in both of their lives.

“This is a valid insult describing oppression which stabs four-five generations,” Coleman stated.

Coleman stated the words printed on the receipt were unexplainable. The first step he took was terminating the employee responsible for the receipt immediately.

“We agreed upon to take steps to ban this & any individuals that feel in any way, they may be allowed to marginalized people to a word or level,” Coleman stated.

He also stated he apologies to both women who were attacked through “this injustice.”

Screenshot via Facebook.

Even Mayor Robyn Tannehill weighed in on the incident when a Twitter user pointed it out to her around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Screenshot via Twitter.

At the time of publication, Washington did not return to Hottytoddy.com for comment.