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    The Sideshow

    Black customer who received ‘N-word’ receipts settles with restaurant

    The Landmark Steakhouse in Corona del Mar, California. (Landmarknewport.com)A California restaurant has settled a federal discrimination lawsuit filed by a black customer who received receipts using an offensive racial slur. The settlement is the latest bit of cultural controversy to hit the restaurant industry in recent months.

    The Orange County Weekly reports that Mark McHenry had been a regular at the Landmark Steakhouse in Corona del Mar for several years. McHenry says employees at the restaurant had made uncomfortable comments to him previously, such as, "black is the new white," but that he nonetheless continued to patronize the establishment.

    However, on Dec. 5, 2010, McHenry visited Landmark twice in the same day. He received three receipts, all containing racist language. Written on the receipts were the derogatory names, "McStinkyN*gger," "McNigS*it," and "McCottonwood."

    You can view one of the offending receipts here.

    MSNBC followed up on the story and obtained copies of three messages sent by a Landmark bartender, who is white, to McHenry:

    In one voicemail, the bartender said: "Yo Mark. Hey it's [NAME WITHHELD]. Give me a call when you get a chance man. Just wanted to apologize for that tab, dude. You know we were totally jokin' around."

    In a follow-up text message, the bartender said: "I know I made a big mistake by crossing the line. I have a family & mortgage that depend on me."

    In another text message on Christmas Eve, he said: "merry christmas! hope to see you soon. we miss you! please forgive us for being stupid. its not the same without you there. luv u bud!"

    McHenry's attorney Stuars Shanus told msnbc.com he and his client are not disclosing terms of the settlement and Landmark Steakhouse has declined requests for comment as well. However, court documents show the bartender who sent the messages to McHenry was fired a week after the lawsuit was filed last March.

    The incident is the most recent in a string of racial incidents in the food industry over the past few months. In January, Papa John's Pizza apologized after an employee gave a receipt to an Asian customer which read, "lady chinky eyes." A month before that, Chick-fil-A, better known for filing its own lawsuits, fired a cashier who put the racial insults "Ching" and "Chong" on the receipts of two Asian customers at one of its California restaurants. And also in January, McDonald's suffered a PR headache when someone put photos of discriminatory signs online, falsely asserting that they were posted in an actual McDonald's restaurant.

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    • K7KTR  •  Missoula, Montana  •  1 mth 1 day ago
      Where too is the Media reporting on the massive AMMO buying by the USDA and DHS? 400,000,000 rounds for the DHS and 200,000,000 for the USDA, Why has the Department of Education started buying Shotgun's?

      No Media at all...

      Yet the Race War continues.
      Patriot Act, Thought Crimes, NDAA and the War on America's Free Internet (INFORMATION) Continues, Yet BLIND AMERICAN'S will continue to say that the Bank's and this Government are A OK after the US has Invaded 3 Countries and killed 100,000's of Thousands and tell US that we are only hated for our Freedom. Not because we Drone to death families via Collateral Damage and now the CIA want's to DRONE anyone that can't even recognize just "Thinks" they might be acting weird.

      The Media is waging a false war on a race issue that is not there. Where is the media when Blacks kill blacks? This is all a hoax. If it is not Mexican's it is Muslim's. The Race War continues to be in the Spot Light.. While Bank's walks free of the Trillions of Dollars they have defrauded this and other countries out of. WAKE UP!!
    • K7KTR  •  Missoula, Montana  •  1 mth 1 day ago
      Ah... The Media's Race War continues.. Where is the Outrage at the Bank's who have destroyed the homes and credit of Millions of American's Black and White? Where? No Indictments. Yet Promotions into the Millions for their "Crappy Deal's".
      Where is the Rage that this Country sent low income Black Military boys into War's that were ALL LIES? Where? Yet the Media continues to stir the pot of Race in America. We Elected a Black President for Gods sake. Where is the massive crowds gathering to protest what the Bank's have done... Simple, They OUTLAW the Gatherings. You're 1st right under the US Constitution they have Outlawed! As now with the Secret Service scandal where Obama has now Outlawed any Protest's where the SS goons may be.

      American's had better wake up to a old and growing problem that receives ZERO MEDIA and that is that THEY are ALL SLAVES now, Black or White. No Indictment's of Banks that Laundered BILLIONS $375,000,000,000 For DRUG CARTEL'S while US Soldiers are Growing Opium and Heroin for the Afghan's. The War on Terror and the War on Drug's is a Total HOAX as they build the Police State here in America.

      Yes, It is We American's that are now labeled as Domestic Terrorist's, TSA Road blocks, TSA at School's, Gardening on your Own Property, Children selling Lemonade ILLEGAL, Farmers having to burn their Crop's or destroy their Pig's. Where is the Out Rage? No Where, As the Media diverts the attention from issues that show where we are headed.

      The Coming failure of the US Dollar as YOUR Tax Dollars bail out Foreign Bank's into the tune of Trillions of Dollars that your Children's Children also have to repay. Where is the Bailout of College Student's that work at McDonald's to repay Student Loans?

      Where is the Countless Billions stolen from SSI that people and employers paid into to 30-40-50 years and it is ALL GONE? Where is the out rage? Yet the Race War continues.
    • Matt  •  Dallas, Texas  •  1 mth 28 days ago
      Racism will never go away until we all meld into one color. Sorry.
    • Dr.Johnson  •  Las Vegas, Nevada  •  3 mths ago
      If they were doing that to his receipts what on earth were they doing to his food and drink?
      • B Lang 3 mths ago
        Oh man! Good point, but that raises all kinds of nasty images. That dude better never go to another restaurant or bar from now on.
      • Donzi 3 mths ago
        Hopefully something.
      • SALES GUY 3 mths ago
        yeah...he is pretty dumb for being a customer for "several years" ... and he went back their twice in one day...who are these people who write on receipts...should have opened up a can of whop #$%$ right there and then and see how funny that s*&(#$ would be...
    • We Have Banana Bread!  •  3 mths ago
      So the guy you degraded is supposed to care about your family and mortgage, more than you did? Why didn't you think about your family and mortgage when you were being a cretinous racist pig? Because it was important to insult this man and express your racist views than to put supporting your family first?
      • seaurchin 3 mths ago
        M, you are being a bit harsh, the bartender is just short-sighted. His reasoning is as fallible as the length of his nose. That does not make him a racist. My opinion. What's a little "black humor" so to speak, between patrons and barkeeps?
      • Patrick 3 mths ago
        In any other establishment you would get fired for having anything to do with that. Hell I have seen people fired for waaaaaaaaayyyy less. I don't think the casual apology by phone message is really helping the bartender's case. And did the bartender have anything to do with it...... yea, like he needs to get lit on fire and kicked out the door.

        Beyond the flagarent racism which itself, its a very stupid thing to say in any kind of service based establishment. A person that pants on head retarded should be scrubbing toilets or digging in a pit.
      • Donzi 3 mths ago
        I think they should have banned him from coming back! Being racist is not a bad thing - look at the crime blacks commit against whites - you have to be one piece of s$%t to still hold blacks in anything but contempt.
    • Cookie  •  New York, New York  •  3 mths ago
      Imagine what's being done to the food and beverages...
      • EF 3 mths ago
        so #$%$!!!!
      • JOHN R 3 mths ago
        jessie jackson spit in the white man food so he said
      •   3 mths ago
        The trick is to put spooge into the food of a straight guy, so when he complains that his food tastes like spooge, you can ask him "Well how do you know what spooge tastes like?"
    • Snake Pliskin  •  New York, New York  •  3 mths ago
      I can say when I was younger I held some anger towards white people, but as I grew older I understood that there are some good and bad in every race and it makes me just as bad to think negatively of someone just because of the color of their skin. Now when I see stupidity, I know that one incident does not represent an entire race's felling and it is not their fault nor should it reflect on them, because every race has fools!!
      • RUSerious 3 mths ago
        You're right, Snake.
      • the Truth Teller 3 mths ago
        I wish more people were this mature. But, unfortunately they are not, so the battle must still be fought. The bigotry and hatred from the far right has been and always will be based in total fear and ignorance. Fear of being inferior, and ignorant of the fact that we are all one species. If there is anything for people to harbor hatred over it is the economic slavery they are sold into by the banks and the puppet government. Obama is the greatest hope that they have had, and they cant look beyond their hatred of his skin tone. Smh in disgust and pity.
      • Ryan 3 mths ago
        Every race does have it's fools, but I have still never seen a nice black neighborhood.
    • Mike O  •  3 mths ago
      can't fix stupid, but you can fire it.
      • John 3 mths ago
        If you could just fire stupid, I wouldn't have sold my businesses. Employement law is much more complicated than that. Everyone wonders why businesses move jobs overseas.
      • ShelleyM 3 mths ago
        You CAN and should fire stupid. Or, better yet - don't hire stupid!
      • ren 3 mths ago
        @michael
        Seriously? Have you seen YOUR avatar. The image I have of you is 700 lbs with twinkie crumbs on your 7 chins.
    • FlipFlop  •  3 mths ago
      $55.00 to be called that??

      He could have come on yahoo and been called that for free
    • Nivi  •  East Hampton, New York  •  3 mths ago
      My father always said,,, he doesn't care if a person is white, black, brown or purple,,, Their money is green,,, so you always treat the costumer with respect! Leave your racist #$%$ at the door and you won't have to worry about getting fired...
    • ANNETTE K  •  Norfolk, Virginia  •  3 mths ago
      if i owned a business and my employees did what those people did they would be fired. i work in a gas station-convenience store i deal with people of all races and i treat them all with respect as i want to be treated. if some one wrote something like that on my check i would go off on them in a new york minute. if your a racist then don't work with the public
    • Shecodes  •  3 mths ago
      Why is the ability to call people the "N" word so freaking important to some white people? AND to some black people too? Jeez, you'd think cash would fall from heaven every time you say it the way people carry on about it. I'm black and sick of everybody blathering on about it. I wish both blacks and whites would both nix the word and grow the heck up.
    • Emma  •  3 mths ago
      Those making remarks about the customer's income status should know two things. The restaurant is located in one of the ritziest enclaves in the country, and the customer is a successful businessman. So the lame welfare jokes are...well, lame.
    • Shannon  •  3 mths ago
      I cannot believe the comments on here. I am a proud black woman. I love people of all colors, I am glad my parents didn't teach me to be racist. I don't care if you are black or white we all have to lay down and die one day. One's skin color doesn't make it superior to the next. To all the racist comments you sound immature. Stereotyping is so closed minded, well I see I rise above all these negative comments. I pray that all racist people find peace and love within to love one another.
    • Kevin  •  Kansas City, Missouri  •  3 mths ago
      I love how the bartender tried to put the onus for his family and his mortgage on the customer he insulted. Now he gets to spend more time with them.
    • Nathan S  •  3 mths ago
      I wouldn't worry about what's on the receipt, so much as what's in the food.
    • Jim  •  Zanesville, Ohio  •  3 mths ago
      I'll have to start looking at my receipts more closely. "Fat polack" ought to be worth a few bucks.
    • Crazy3000  •  Irvine, California  •  3 mths ago
      Glad I can cook my own food.
    • Eric  •  3 mths ago
      There is no good reason to do what those employees did.
      Here we are in the 21st Century and people are still doing asinine things like this.
    • Dayo  •  Decatur, Georgia  •  3 mths ago
      Why was the bartender fired a week after the lawsuit was filed and not when the customer brought this to managments attention (presumably months prior)???
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