Waitress who received alleged anti-gay receipt suspended pending investigation
The New Jersey waitress who claimed she received an anti-gay message in lieu of a tip has been suspended pending an investigation.
Dayna Morales, a waitress at the Gallop Asian Bistro restaurant in Bridgewater, N.J., said that a couple who ate at the restaurant paid their bill but left no tip, saying "I'm sorry but I cannot tip because I do not agree with your lifestyle and how you live your life." Morales is gay.
However, the couple later came forward and provided their copy of the receipt to counter Morales' charges, along with a copy of the credit card statement indicating that the tip had been included. Now, the restaurant has suspended Morales pending its investigation into her conduct.
“Ms. Morales is currently not on our employee schedule while we are still working to complete our investigation," the restaurant wrote on its Facebook page.
Both the husband and the wife who ate the meal strongly protested the allegation that they left an anti-gay "tip," with the wife noting that she is left-handed and does not write like the receipt indicates, and the husband saying he did not vote for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie because of his opposition to gay marriage. Morales, in turn, has said the handwriting is not hers.
In the wake of the incident, Morales has drawn criticism from her co-workers. Morales, an ex-Marine, was reportedly discharged from the Reserve Corps in May under conditions other than honorable for failing to attend drills.
Contact Jay Busbee at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee.
