A Wendy’s assistant manager who recently went viral in a video where he called a female coworker a “b*tch” has now been terminated.
According to TMZ, even though the incident took place nearly two weeks ago, the clip went viral and generated over a million views after it was shared on TikTok over the weekend. It was then re-posted by D.L. Hughley.
Sophia Cargill, who is a general manager in training at a Wendy’s restaurant in Kalamazoo, Michigan, reportedly recorded the footage of an assistant manager named Michael yelling insults at her as proof of his inappropriate behavior.
Michael can be heard hurling insults at the young Black employee, calling Cargill a “b*tch” and chastising her for being “f**king lazy.”
In response, she informs him that his verbal harassment has been recorded and that his career at Wendy’s will most likely be coming to an end. But he confidently fired back, “No it’s not.”
Cargill also set up a GoFundMe page, explaining that this, unfortunately, wasn’t an isolated incident and that Michael didn’t just verbally attack her. He also allegedly tried to prevent her from advancing at her job and on multiple occasions tried to sabotage her employee training.
“I endured multiple occasions that I reported to the general manager and nothing was done,” she wrote on the page, asking supporters to help fund her transition given she was no longer sure she could continue to work in such a hostile work environment.
In fact, she notes that the issue went far beyond Michael and was a systemic issue that led to her being suspended without pay when she complained about his behavior.
The allegedly questionable actions, not just of the manager in the video but also by the human resources department that penalized her for speaking up, prompted social media users to criticize Wendy’s while expressing their support for the woman.
“I’m so sorry Sophia had to go through this and I hope @Wendys does the right thing,” wrote one supporter who also shared a video of the young women elaborating on what she’d endured prior to the video.
It appears that making headlines with her video is what it took to finally turn the wheels of justice in Cargill’s favor. In response to the growing backlash, a representative for the fast food restaurant has spoken up to confirm that Michael has been fired and that Cargill will be reinstated at her position with back pay.
“We have no tolerance for harassment in the workplace,” the Wendy’s rep told TMZ. “Upon learning of this situation, we acted immediately following our protocols and suspended those involved to run a thorough investigation.”
“I’m unsure if I want to return to Wendy’s,” Cargill confessed on her GoFundMe page, which has currently raised over $12,000. She also added that she’ll be hiring a lawyer and making her mental health a priority while she seeks employment elsewhere.
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