Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Gay McDonald's customer served hamburger 'seeping with blood after staff call him a faggot'

Luis Hernandez claims staff intentionally undercooked his burger to make him sick

Jamie Campbell
Friday 24 April 2015 17:15 BST
Comments
(Getty Images)

A McDonald’s customer in the US state of Washington says that staff served him a hamburger “seeping with blood” after referring to him as a “faggot” within earshot.

Luis Hernandez said that he ordered the hamburger at the restaurant in the town of Payallup before noticing that a manager was berating another member of staff.

He asked them whether the management tended to address colleagues in this way but the staff member just walked away and said to another colleague: “That’s why I can’t stand faggots.”

Photo courtesy of Luis Hernandez

He then took the hamburger that he was served home but when he started to eat it he realised that something was wrong.

“I started to bite into it and it was just a horrific smell and that when I knew that something was wrong with it,” he said.

He described it as a "completely raw burger seeping with blood".

He said that he believed the undercooked burger had been an extension of the homophobia that he had witnessed in the restaurant.

“I feel that they did it on purpose to try and intentionally hurt me and try and make me sick.”

He reported the incident to police and the country health department, the latter of whom visited the branch of McDonald’s in the town.

Their inspection report noted that it “visually noticed undercooking” on one of the restaurant’s grills.

McDonald’s issued a statement that read: “Providing our customers excellent service and high quality food and beverages are top priorities at our restaurants.

“We strive to provide a welcoming environment for all of our customers. Discrimination is not tolerated and is completely inconsistent with our values. We have investigated and taken the appropriate corrective action.”

In January a McDonald's security guard in Luton was suspended after he told two kissing men that they were making people feel uncomfortable.

When asked by a witness if a straight kiss would have been more acceptable, he replied: "yes".

Earlier this month the Seattle Times reported on a Go Fund Me campaign raised more than $87,000 (£57,357) for a florist in Washington state who was fined $1000 for refusing to sell flowers to a same-sex couple for their wedding.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in