Mom Kicked Out of Golden Corral for Crop Top Says She Was Discriminated Against Because of Weight
A woman says she was told to leave a Pennsylvania Golden Corral location because she was dressed “too provocatively” in a crop top.
Sueretta Emke explained the incident in a now-viral Facebook post last week. As she writes, she was at a Golden Corral location in Erie on Sunday, May 26 to celebrate her son’s birthday with her husband, her best friend and her friend’s kids.
Emke then alleges that she was approached by a male manager who told her she was dressed “too provocatively” and that another customer had complained. According to her account, the manager told her she needed to put on another piece of clothing or leave.
“He never would tell me exactly what I was showing too much of,” she wrote. “When I asked … he would respond that it wasn’t his place to say.”
In the end, Emke writes that she was forced to leave the restaurant — and she believes she was discriminated against because of her weight.
“I have seen people in there wearing less and nothing is said to them,” she wrote, “but I really do believe something was said to me because I’m not thin so it’s not considered sexy.”
RELATED: Woman Rewarded with Tamales After Returning Stranger’s Phone
In a statement to PEOPLE, Golden Corral said: “We strive to make all of our guests feel welcome and comfortable, but it appears we didn’t meet the mark in this situation.”
The statement added that the chain restaurant doesn’t “offer specific guidelines” on a dress code.
“While we don’t offer specific guidelines on attire for our franchise locations, it is never our intention to offend anyone. We are grateful the issue was brought to our attention because it represents an education opportunity and a chance to make amends with a guest we disappointed,” the statement said.
RELATED: Wisconsin Teen Says She Was ‘Traumatized’ After Reportedly Finding Blood in Her Panera Salad
According to Today, the manager at the location sent Emke an apology letter, as well as gift cards.
“I’ve never owned a crop top before and I was nervous at first about wearing it, but my husband loved the way it looked on me and encouraged me to wear it since I liked it so much,” Emke explained in her post. “I really felt cute in it and now I never wanna wear that shirt again.”
