ATLANTA — A waitress says she was stunned when a man drew a hate symbol on a menu and handed it to her while she was at work.
Shelley Sidney told Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus the incident is the most blatantly hateful thing anyone has done to her.
Sidney said she was waiting on a private party at Antica Posta in Buckhead, Thursday night.
"I get to the last person in the party, and they give me a menu that has a swastika drawn it,” Sidney told Klaus.
She said she was stunned by it and immediately showed her boss.
Sidney said restaurant owner Marco Betti cited freedom of speech. She wanted him to kick the guest out, instead.
"I was hurt and frustrated," Sidney said.
Back downstairs, Sidney said she heard a guest use the n-word.
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"I was really in tears when I was overhearing the conversations, the private conversations of just how horrible black people are, immigrants are, gay people are," Sidney told Klaus.
She said she told Betti she was done serving the guests.
Klaus spoke with the restaurant's attorney, Manny Arora, over the phone Sunday evening.
"As soon as she made any reference to anything inappropriate being overheard, Marco immediately asked her if she didn't want to wait on those folks and reassigned somebody else," Arora told Klaus.
The staff said they saw books displayed in the room, and researched the author. It was the known holocaust denier, David Irving, hosting a speaking event.
Antica Posta’s attorney said the owner was unaware who he was.
"You don't check into people's backgrounds or their political beliefs before you agree to a reservation," Arora told Klaus.
Sidney said she wants her boss to be more sensitive to the feelings of his diverse staff.
"He never told them that they had to leave," Sidney said. "I think that it's unacceptable for this to be able to go on. It's 2017."
Arora said the group did not cause any disturbances.
Shelley said her boss has asked her not to come to work the last two days.
Arora said Sidney still has a job, if she so chooses.
Cox Media Group
