Three women from Texas who reportedly attacked a hostess at a NYC restaurant after being asked to show vaccine cards are saying they were racially profiled.
The incident occurred at Carmines on Thursday and the three women, who are black, are calling for the 24-year-old hostess to be fired.
The hostess was left with bruises and scratches and other staff jumped in to defend her during the attack.
Attorneys for the women and Carmines told The New York Times that the women provided vaccination cards but two men who joined later did not. An attorney for the women stated that the hostess had suggested the proof was fake and used a racial slur.
Carolyn Richmond, the attorney for Carmines, said “Any claim that they were racially profiled is a complete fabrication, disingenuous, and outright irresponsible”.
A Black Lives Matter activist announced that there will be a protest held outside Carmines on Monday to protest the treatment of black patrons.
The three women, Kaeita Rankin, Tyonnie Keshay Rankin, and Sally Rechelle Lewis, were arrested after the incident and charged with misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief.
Civil rights lawyer Justin Moore said “The injuries that she received were incurred by her being physically restrained by other staff at Carmine’s after she was called out for racial discrimination, which she took offense to”. “The hostess is apparently poorly trained to deal with patrols and has obvious issues with black women and has a disregard for women of color”, he added.