Tag: harassment
‘Target Teresa’ caught on video harassing black customers
A white Target customer was caught on camera harassing a group of black shoppers in Tennessee, telling them they “don’t belong here” and accusing them of inappropriately talking about sex in public.
“You were talking about sex in public. Are you having sex in public because that’s what you screamed out loud,” the woman — quickly nicknamed “Target Teresa” and “Target Tammy” online — says in since-deleted footage posted to Facebook on Friday.
The women whom “Target Teresa” is accosting try to explain that they were just talking about jazz legend Eartha Kitt’s character in the 1992 comedy “Boomerang” and even turn around to try to disengage.
But the NASA sweatshirt-wearing accuser isn’t having it.
“I didn’t realize talking about sex in public was normal. I know you’re trained on lying. You’re perfect for the court system because you’re all trained liars,” she says.
During the approximately four minutes of the altercation caught on tape, “Target Teresa” also calls the women “abusive.”
One of the women in the group, who didn’t want to be identified, told Yahoo Lifestyle she was “confused” by the whole incident.
“My cousin and I were visiting my best friend from out of state and we stopped by Target to buy a phone charger,” she said. “I told my friend to try on a hat that looked like something Eartha Kitt’s character would wear in the film and she said no because her character had sex with a younger man.”
Then “Target Teresa” popped her head over the accessories display.
“She told us, ‘You shouldn’t be talking about sex,’” the woman told the outlet. “We were confused — then, she came around the corner with her shopping cart and started ranting, ‘You don’t belong here’ and calling our conversation inappropriate.”
Boss fired after telling mom her son being on life support is no reason to miss work
A Michigan gas station manager was fired after her callous response to an employee’s request for time off to be with her son, who was reportedly placed on life support, went viral.
Crystal Fisher, of Albion, told FOX 17 that her son Jason, 18, was rushed to the hospital on Thursday after his temperature spiked to 104 degrees and he had “low oxygen.”
Fisher had her 14-year-old daughter, who was not named in the report, contact her boss at PS Food Mart to let them know she could not make it to work due to her son’s illness.
“[Fisher’s daughter] said, ‘Can you have somebody cover Mom for [Friday], my brother’s really sick, they’re going to have to ventilate him,’” Fisher said. “And the boss, I could hear her over the phone and she told my daughter, ‘This ain’t the way we run things, your mother needs to be the one calling me.’”
Fisher said she was told by the doctors that her son needed to be transported to the University of Michigan.
“[The doctor] came in and told me that they were going to have to tube him and transport him to [University of Michigan],” she told FOX 17. “I lost it. That’s my kid.”
Fisher said she was told her son had a bacterial infection and that he would have to be placed on life support.
She then sent a text to her manager, whom she identified as Dawn, on Saturday, letting her know that she would not be able to make it to work until her son’s condition improved. Fisher said she was shocked by what came next.
“I text her Saturday and said, ‘Hey just letting you know that I’m not going to be able to come to work until further notice at least until he’s off life support,’” Fisher said. “She automatically came back with, ‘Oh so you’re letting me know you’re quitting.’”
Fisher said she was shocked by the response and replied, “Ok so how do we do things when my child is on life support? I never said I was quitting so I take it that you’re firing me?”
“If you can’t come to work that’s you quitting,” Dawn allegedly replied.
Fisher explained she was letting her know “ahead of time” that she could not make it to work “due to my child’s life on the line.”
Dawn allegedly replied, “I will not get into [this] with you on here but I’ve been more than accommodating during this allowing schedule changes and such. There is no reason you can’t work and I will not tolerate drama. End of conversation. If you aren’t there to work your shift tomorrow then I take that as you’ve quit.”
Fisher then said she would be contacting corporate. The manager supplied the mother with the corporate office’s number, but Fisher had one last question.
“Would you be able to go to work and function if your child was on life support? I don’t know if I’m coming or going and you expect me to work?” she asked.
“Yes I would, I still have bills to pay and something to keep me busy and occupied. We don’t just get to come and go as we please at Folk Oil. I have tomorrow and Monday covered. Your son is in the best place he can be. I have a store to run and that’s my focus,” the manager allegedly replied.
Fisher posted the text exchange on her Facebook page, where it went viral. She said she was shocked by the feedback and attention the post has received.
“My 14-year-old she was like, ‘Mom, Mom, so many shares.’ And I’m like I did not expect it to take off like this,” Fisher said. “But when I have people in my inbox ‘Hey I’m from Australia praying for you,’ you know, I’m just, I’m overwhelmed.”
Fisher said she was contacted by Folk Oil’s corporate office following the viral post. The office told her to take as much time as needed, and the manager was terminated following an investigation.
“We investigated and have found that the situation was handled improperly and without the compassion that we value as a company. For that, we are very sorry,” the company said in a statement.
“As a result of this finding, we took quick action and that manager is no longer employed by PS Food Mart. We have also reaffirmed to our employee that she will be able to take all the time off that she needs during this difficult period,” the statement concluded.
Fisher said doctors told her that her son may have a type of sepsis.
“My concern is when my son does wake up and when he does open his eyes, he sees Mommy there,” Fisher said.
Roommate from hell’s sick sabotage involved bloody tampons, licked utensils, smearing bodily fluids on backpack
A onetime student at the University of Hartford admitted licking her roommate’s dining utensils and secretly smearing bodily fluids on her backpack — a “deeply disturbing” case of alleged bullying that exploded on social media, prompted two messages from the Connecticut school’s president and police requesting that hate crime charges be filed on Wednesday.
Freshman Chennel Rowe posted a 103-minute Facebook Live video Monday about her roommate nightmare. Rowe said she had felt “unwanted in [her] own room” since being randomly assigned to bunk with Brianna Rae Brochu in late August. After moving in, Rowe said, she started getting sick, including throat pain that ultimately led her to see a doctor.
Rowe said she had requested a room change and had begun moving her belongings to another location on Oct. 17, when she was approached by one of her student neighbors who spotted “very concerning posts” on Brochu’s Instagram account, according to police reports obtained by the Hartford Courant.
One of the posts — which has since been deleted but was captured via screenshot by Rowe — appeared to confirm Rowe’s suspicions: Brochu had been covertly harassing her and tampering with her personal items for more than a month.
“Finally did it ya girl got rid of her roommate!” Rowe said, recalling Brochu’s post. “After 1½ months of spitting in her coconut oil, putting moldy clam dip in her lotions, rubbing used tampons [on] her backpack, putting her toothbrush where the sun doesn’t shine and so much more I can finally say goodbye to Jamaican Barbie.”
Brochu, who was arrested Saturday on charges of third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree breach of peace, has admitted licking Rowe’s plate, fork and spoon, as well as smearing her own bodily fluid on Rowe’s backpack, but denied the other actions she referenced on Instagram. She told West Hartford police that those statements were lies and a way to “appear funny” online.
Brochu, of Harwinton, claimed she had been reacting to a “hostile environment” created by Rowe, who allegedly posted Snapchat videos of Brochu snoring. Brochu also requested a room change last month but was unsuccessful, according to the Courant.
Rowe’s video prompted a nationwide response on social media, with many users posting in support of Rowe and calling for #JusticeforJazzy. (Rowe’s Facebook account identifies her as Jazzy Rowe, but a University of Hartford email directory lists her as Chennel Rowe.)
“I can’t believe someone would do this,” one Twitter post read. “Such a despicable human being. Sorry you had to go through that girl.”
Others on social media characterized the allegations as “absolutely disgusting and atrocious,” while some said Brochu could’ve killed Rowe by contaminating her lotion with mold.
The incident and its subsequent explosion on social media also prompted the university’s president to address students Wednesday, saying that the “deeply upsetting” incident doesn’t reflect the values of the school. President Greg Woodward also addressed the “accusations of racism” raised by Rowe and others in connection with the incident.
“Acts of racism, bias, bullying, or other abusive behaviors will not be tolerated on this campus,” Woodward said in a statement. “I pledge to do everything in my power to work with our community to address related concerns together.”
Woodward has also met with Rowe and has been in talks with her family.
“We will continue to offer support and assistance to her, as well as any other student that feels threatened, victimized, or uncomfortable on our campus,” his statement continued. “Let me repeat: racism and hatred will not be tolerated on this campus. Period.”
A judge ordered Brochu to stay off the University of Hartford’s campus and not to contact her former roommate during a brief court appearance on Wednesday, the Hartford Courant reports. Police in West Hartford also requested that Brochu face felony hate crime charges of intimidation based on bigotry or bias in addition to the breach of peace and criminal mischief counts she faces.
Brochu did not comment during the hearing and her case was transferred to Hartford Superior Court, where she’s expected to return on Nov. 15, the Courant reports.
Woodward also released a second statement Wednesday on the “deeply disturbing situation,” saying Brochu is no longer welcome at the 6,700-student university.
“She will not be returning to the institution,” Woodward said in a statement. “There has been an outpouring of concern for the victim of these acts from across the University and the country. In my meeting with her yesterday, I reiterated my personal commitment to ensuring she has all available personal and academic resources the University can provide.”
Rowe, who did not return a message from The Post seeking comment Wednesday, said she believes the incident would’ve been handled much differently if she had victimized Brochu.
“The fact that I’m black and my old roommate was white … If the roles was switched, I want to know if it would be handled the same way, right?” Rowe said during her Facebook Live video. “Because I damn well know it wouldn’t.”