Cracker Barrel Banned A Homophobic, Anti-Gay Pastor From Holding An Event At A Tennessee Restaurant

Madison Flager
Updated
Photo credit: Flickr
Photo credit: Flickr

From Delish

Cracker Barrel will not allow Grayson Fritts' church to host an event at a Cleveland, TN, restaurant. Fritts, the pastor of All Scripture Baptist church, called for the execution of gay people in June, CNN reports, has called them "freaks" and said they are "worthy of death."

Cracker Barrel addressed its nondiscrimination policy and disagreement with Fritts' "statements of hate and divisiveness" in a statement on Twitter.

Cracker Barrel is not affiliated in any way with Mr. Fritts or All Scripture Baptist and we disagree with their statements of hate and divisiveness. We are not hosting any event on June 29, and Mr. Fritts and his group will not be permitted on site. At Cracker Barrel, we work hard to foster a culture that is welcoming and inclusive-we have a zero-tolerance policy for discriminatory treatment or harassment of any sort.

The statement was posted in response to Chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party Mary Mancini's letter to Cracker Barrel CEO Sandra Cochran alerting Cochran of the event. In the letter, Mancini praised Cochran for improving the restaurant chain's culture and said that hosting this kind of event would be "in direct conflict with the culture you are working so hard to build as well as the inclusivity and diversity pledge stated on your website."

WATE, a CNN affliliate, reports that Fritts is on paid sick leave from the sherriff's office-he was a county police detective as well as a pastor-until July 19. After that date he will stop working as part of a workforce reduction buyout program.

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