A Tallahassee law firm said it has been hired by the family of a 17-year-old Popeyes employee who accused her manager of physically assaulting her recently.
The altercation at the eatery just off Tallahassee Highway in Bainbridge, Georgia, was caught on video and as of Monday had over 1.6 million views on Twitter.
The 48-second clip shows the employee on the phone and exchanging words with her manager before he eventually slaps her and is held back by employees and customers.
“We are still collecting evidence and are making a game plan right now,” said attorney Charles Gee, of the Gee & Lee law firm. “But, it is unacceptable, in any case, for a employee to be subjected to physical and verbal abuse.”
About attorney Charles Gee
Bainbridge Public Safety confirmed the manager, Marquez Jayshown Smith, had been arrested on charges of battery and cruelty to children.
In a statement, the company said it was “horrified” about the incident. A Popeyes spokesperson said Smith was fired.
“We have been made aware of the video depicting the assault of a Popeyes restaurant team member, and we are absolutely horrified, like the rest of the public,” read the statement. “Violence of any kind has no place in Popeyes restaurants. We are working with local authorities and the franchisee to ensure the impacted team member has the support she needs to fully recover.”
Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter.
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