By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
After the racist attack on customers at Waffle House in Bowling Green, citizens asked city leaders to help prevent similar incidents from happening again.
They suggested that businesses ought to have zero tolerance for discriminatory and hate incidents. But first, local employees needed to be trained to deal with potential problems.
The first round of those trainings will be held next week by Bowling Green Police Division.
The police division will be providing Late Night Establish Employee Training (LEET) on June 26, from 4 to 6 p.m., and will focus on civil liability, state and Bowling Green laws and ordinances, liquor laws and fake ID recognition as well as prevention and mitigation of violence and discriminatory conduct.
Employees and management staff of local businesses (restaurants, bars and retail outlets) that sell alcoholic beverages or operate in the evening hours are encouraged to attend.
This training will be held at the BG Four Corner Center, 130 S. Main St. Employees wanting to attend should contact Detective Scott Frank at 419-352-1131 or sfrank@bgohio.org to register for this event or for answers to questions related to this event. Pre-registration is preferred. There are 40 seats available. The session is free and certificates will be presented to attendees.
The training is being expanded from the normal liquor law training because of the Waffle House incident, Lt. Dan Mancuso said.
Members of La Conexion and the community asked city leaders about the training – and those city leaders talked with Police Chief Tony Hetrick about providing the education.
The incident occurred March 31 when two high school seniors were reportedly met with racial slurs from two other men when they entered Waffle House. One of the men allegedly told the teens that President Donald Trump would deal with immigrants like them.
Before leaving the restaurant, the men taunting the teens reportedly went over to their table and began beating them. Three employees and a customer told police the two victims did nothing to provoke the attack.
Bowling Green Police Division arrested Jacob Dick, 22, North Baltimore, and Zachary Keller, 21, of Custar, for felonious assault and ethnic intimidation.
Since then, community meetings have been organized by La Conexion in an effort to come up with preventative measures to keep similar incidents from occurring in Bowling Green.
“The incident deeply affected and rightly enraged” city citizens, Beatriz Maya, leader of La Conexion, said in April to City Council. She thanked the police division for its quick response to the attack, and city leaders for speaking out against such hate crimes.
“Bowling Green has taken a clear stance against hate,” Maya said.
But more must be done, she told City Council. Maya read a list of recommendations gathered at the community meetings following the attack at Waffle House. The suggestions included:
- Acknowledgement that racism exists in the community, with more open dialogue needed. “We must recognize this is a systemic problem,” she said.
- Enactment of an ordinance stating zero tolerance for racist incidents. Businesses could use that ordinance to require patrons to immediately leave if they are using racist language. If they don’t leave, police should be called.
- Training should be offered to teach employees how to respond to hate incidents. Those businesses completing the training would be given “welcoming city” decals for their doors.
Council President Mike Aspacher said he had spoken with Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter and Police Chief Tony Hetrick about the possibility of such training be offered.
Hetrick said the police division will expand the training it already offers for liquor establishments, to make it instructional for businesses that operate overnight. It’s possible that some type of training for bystanders could also be offered in the future.
“It’s clear this is a community problem that will require a community solution,” Aspacher said.
City Council heard from many citizens who wanted some type of training.
Karla Davis-McGowan blames the perpetrators for the assault, but also said Waffle House has some responsibility since the verbal assault reportedly was allowed to escalate and eventually led to the physical assault.
She suggested that just as another national coffee business was forced to do a nationwide training last year, Waffle House should do the same.
Sylvia Chandler agreed that businesses should have zero tolerance for racist behavior. “Intolerance won’t be tolerated,” she said.
Chandler told of her own experience at a local restaurant when she was verbally assaulted. Changes are needed, “so people of color can come in, and sit down, and not worry,” she said.
“The need for training for the staff is something that we should enact,” Chandler said.
Council also heard other suggestions.
Linda Lander talked about the need to collect local hate crime statistics, as well as data on acts of racism and bigotry.
“Little tiny cuts can cause just as much damage as felonious assault,” Lander said.
Janet Parks suggested that workshops and training be offered on how to recognize more subtle racism, such as biased language or symbols.
“So many times we want to help, and we don’t know how to help,” Parks said. “Bowling Green has the potential to be the leader in this.”
