WALDORF, Md. (DC News Now) — Parents in Charles County are outraged after a group of students with disabilities and their teachers say they were denied service at the Cracker Barrel in Waldorf.
They are calling the incident sad and insensitive.
“I was more so disheartened initially, but then I got pissed off,” Stacey Campbell said.
Stacey Campbell – whose son has autism – is a parent of one of the students a part of Charles County’s Public School’s (CCPS) “Community-Based Instruction” also known as CBI.
CBI helps students with disabilities to practice the skills they learn in the classroom and use them in real life.
On Dec. 3, students and staff members arrived at a Cracker Barrel where they said they were “refused service.”
“What is the leadership going to do about that, and how are they going to ensure that their discriminatory practices are no longer happening,” Campbell questioned.
In a letter, the school Superintendent said they notified the restaurant of the planned visits, including how many people were coming and shared the purpose of the program.
In a statement from Cracker Barrel, the restaurant said:
“A staffing challenge that day led to the closure of part of our second dining room, creating confusion that impacted the group’s experience. We take this matter seriously and are working directly with the group’s leadership to better understand what happened, extend our apologies, and make things right.”
They say the restaurant is available to speak with the parents of the students and is willing to work with the school system to do better.
Parents of the students and other community members said they plan to host a rally and boycott the restaurant on Dec. 15.
