A Maine Dunkin’ Donuts employee refused to serve model Hamdia Ahmed, and her family, for speaking Somali and then called the police on them.
Ahmed, a 20-year-old model and civil rights activist who attends the University of Southern Maine, said she was ordering Dunkin’ Donuts for her brother when she was told through the drive-thru speaker that she and her family were yelling and needed to leave.
“All of a sudden we just hear like, ‘Stop yelling. You’re yelling in my ears!’ And we were just like, ‘What the hell just happened What is going on When were we yelling We’re having a conversation.”
According to Ahmed, she told the employee that it was a family conversation in their native Somali language. Initially, she tried to explain to the woman, but the situation escalated. She said the employee refused to take their order and called for a manager to come to the microphone.
At that point, she decided to take out her cellphone and started recording. She posted the video to Facebook and Twitter and they went viral.
Hamdia Ahmed: “You’re gonna disrespect me ’cause I, I speak a different language than you Is that what it is”
Employee: “It has nothing to do with your language. You can leave.”
Hamdia Ahmed: “I was talking to my family.”
Employee: “I don’t want to hear it! I’m done with it. You can leave, or I will call the cops!”
Hamdia Ahmed: “Really”
At that point, Ahmed went inside to speak to the manager, which is where she took a photo of the employee who wouldn’t serve her. The police arrived and issued her a no-trespass order that was later rescinded. after the franchise owner stepped in and apologized.
