Couple blames racial profiling in viral post about interrupted marriage proposal

[left-of-center2012]

Cathy-Marie Hamlet shared that she; her fiancé, Clyde Jackson, and six friends drove from New York City to Angry Orchard’s farm in Walden, New York, Sunday to celebrate her fiancé’s birthday. While they were there, Jackson planned on proposing to Hamlet before he was accused of stealing a t-shirt from the farm’s gift shop.

“My boyfriend walked me out to an empty table on the lawn, and before we could sit down, a young lady from security approached us and said to him, ‘I’m sorry sir, but I have to check you back pocket. I was told that you stole a T-shirt from from the gift store.’ My boyfriend then emptied all of his pockets, while still trying to keep the ring box hidden from my sight,” Hamlet wrote on Facebook. Hamlet said she told the security guard she knew she was “just doing your job,” but that she could not “help but wonder if this is because we’re Black. We’re the only Black people here at your establishment.”

“She then walked away, and my boyfriend and I sat down at the table and he began his proposal speech. MID PROPOSAL, the same young lady from security walks back towards and says to me, 'I’m sorry, I need to check your bag. I was told that he gave it to you, and you put it in your bag,'” she continued. Jackson finished proposing and Hamlet said yes. When their friends came to celebrate with the couple, more security approached the group and said they needed to search everyone’s pockets and bags.

Hamlet wrote “On what was supposed to be one of the best days of my life, I was chased out of Angry Orchard by security who followed us all the way to the parking lot.”

Angry Orchard released a statement Tuesday about the incident. The company apologized and said they replaced the security team members working on Sunday and their manager. They added that they are implementing mandatory security training and implicit bias training.

“As soon as we learned about this incident, we launched an investigation into what happened and got in touch directly with the guest involved to express our sincerest apology and offer to make it right. We recognize that we badly mishandled this situation and our team’s response was inexcusable,” The company wrote on Facebook.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/454326-couple-blames-racial-profiling-in-viral-post-about-interrupted

[dalton99a]

1. Angry Orchard deserves everyone's anger.

Their goons fucking harassed the group

When their friends came to celebrate with the couple, more security approached the group and said they needed to search everyone’s pockets and bags.

[brooklynite]

9. No, they don't...

Unless you have proof that the management that hired the security team directed them to act the way they did. They acted responsibly when the situation was brought to their attention.

[SouthernProgressive]

11. They seem to have found fault in the manager.

They replaced that person as well.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

13. They also announced that they will overhaul their training.

[LanternWaste]

16. Buck rarely stops anywhere anymore, eh?

That Buck... he's a close friend of yours? Loudly advertised martini-lunches in quiet, out-of-the-way places? Or is he more of an "I only speak to Buck when I know I can pass him" kinda pal?

Either way, he sounds like a convenient chum to have around.

[ecstatic]

2. They can't make it right. He can't redo the marriage proposal.

That cat's out the bag!!

Uggh. Sick of this crap!

[virgogal]

3. I saw nothing about race in what I read.I'm confused.

[left-of-center2012]

5. this

Hamlet said she told the security guard she knew she was “just doing your job,” but that she could not “help but wonder if this is because we’re Black. We’re the only Black people here at your establishment.”

[virgogal]

6. Thanks.

[CatMor]

4. OMG ... that is unbelievable ....

the beautiful day was ruined for the couple but at least the management took the proper steps in firing the security team. Makes you wonder who trained the security because it was definitely a racist issue.

[Shrike47]

7. This story is so depressing.

Her Facebook post is quite detailed. This should not happen to people.

[stopdiggin]

8. strikes me, is security chose to escalate

the fact that one "search" was already performed (empty pockets) and concluded (walked away) .. "sorry to have disturbed you" .. then security comes BACK, wants to perform MORE searches .. NOPE. Also keep in mind item in dispute is $15 gift shop t-shirt. Great illustration on how NOT to do your job.

Upshot: security team, and manager, no longer employed (at least at this location). The company did the right thing here in immediately dismissing offenders, and reaching out to guest/victims

[Johnny2X2X]

14. $15 T-shirt

That's what some people don't get, it doesn't matter the possible offense, when it's a black person no amount of force or actions is spared. A $15 T-shirt, a cigarette, a candy bar, it doesn't matter to racist security/law enforcement, the suspect is dealt with most severely.

If this had been a white couple:
A) They never would have been falsely accused.
B) If someone would have thought they saw someone they would have just written it off
or C) If the someone who thought they saw something went to the manager, the manager would have instantly said, "It's a $15 T-Shirt, it's not worth a scene."

White privilege is about getting the benefit of the doubt without even knowing it most of the time.

[stopdiggin]

15. you said it (nt)

[matt819]

10. This got me to thinking

Which is always a bit dangerous.

But I think African Americans should start up private security companies. They can then bid for these sorts of contracts around the country.

Or they could just seek out work locally. Sure, they can hire all races, but at least they’ll have the kind of guidance needed to avoid these situations.

After all, the demographers say we’ll be minority white country within 20 years. This could be interesting in so many ways.

[Johnny2X2X]

12. Make it right?

There is literally nothing that can make it right. Angry Orchard and their racist employees forever ruined what should have been one of the most memorable day in the lives of this young couple.

The least Angry Orchard could do is fire the employees, and offer to pay for the couple's entire wedding and Honeymoon.

[dalton99a]

17. Cathy-Marie Hamlet is a doctor:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/07/23/black-man-was-trying-propose-his-girlfriend-security-guard-kept-accusing-him-shoplifting/

A black man was trying to propose to his girlfriend. A security guard kept accusing him of shoplifting.
By Hannah Knowles
July 23 at 3:36 PM

Cathy-Marie Hamlet started her Facebook post with the good news: She’d gotten engaged.

But her fiance kept getting interrupted, she said, as he proposed from the lawn of hard cider company Angry Orchard’s tree-filled, 60-acre property in New York’s Hudson Valley. Security intruded on the couple’s happy moment three times to accuse Hamlet’s boyfriend of stealing a T-shirt, including once right as he popped the question.

Staff followed Hamlet and her fiance, who are black, all the way to the parking lot as they left, the 32-year-old doctor wrote in her post, which had been shared more than 5,000 times Tuesday afternoon. She believes they were racially profiled.

“I have never been so humiliated in my life,” she said. “[M]yself and some of my friends left Angry Orchard in tears."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.doximity.com/pub/cathy-marie-hamlet-md

Cathy-Marie Hamlet MD
Pediatrics Yonkers, NY
Physician

[RobinA]

18. Yep

If they truly thought these people stole something they should have looked and when they didn’t find anything let discretion be the better part of valor and moved the hell on.

Having worked in a store for a bunch of years, I tend to think the second go-round was probably “law enforcement “ gone wild, as they tend to do when they get a bee in their bonnets, more than race. Store security can get a little full of themselves and start thinking every possible theft is the Hope Diamond.