Dunkin’ apologizes after employee calls police on student speaking Somali with family

A Maine student says a Dunkin’ Donuts employee refused to serve her and then called the police following an argument that began because she and her family were speaking Somali.

Hamdia Ahmed, a Somalian refugee, told NBC News that the incident began while she and her family were waiting to order at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in Portland, Maine.

Ahmed said she and her family were having a conversation in Somali before an employee working at the window asked them to stop yelling.

{mosads}”We were just speaking in our native language. We weren’t yelling,” Ahmed told the outlet.

The 20-year-old student and activist captured the end of the dispute in a video she shared to Twitter on Monday afternoon, which has since racked up more than 50,000 views.

“You’re going to disrespect me cause I speak a different language than you. Is that what it is?” Ahmed can be heard asking the female employee in the clip.

The employee then told Ahmed she could leave the store or she would call the police.

“You can leave. I don’t want to hear it. I’m done with it. You can leave or I will call the cops,” the employee said. 

Guys, I need your help. Today my family and I want @dunkindonuts. Before we even place our order through the dr thru, we were told to leave for speaking in our native language. We were called a “ bitch.” The police were called on us, and now can’t go back their. I am disgusted. pic.twitter.com/A1foloR1ma

— Hamdia Ahmed (@hamdia_ahmed) October 15, 2018

pic.twitter.com/OVNA4ga9h3

— Hamdia Ahmed (@hamdia_ahmed) October 15, 2018

Ahmed said she went inside the shop in an attempt to resolve the dispute after the shift manager called the police.

Police arrived shortly after and Ahmed was reportedly issued a no-trespassing notice for “yelling at staff,” according to the report.

The notice has reportedly since been rescinded, however, after the store owner, Dave DaRosa, intervened. 

Dunkin’ Donuts said in a statement to NBC News that DaRosa met with Ahmed and her family on Wednesday to “sincerely apologized to her for the poor experience and is working on providing additional customer service training to his store crew.” 

Ahmed, a student activist at the University of Southern Maine, told the publication she is “proud of myself for speaking up against this because it’s not right.” 

“My family did not deserve to be treated that way, and I hope I started a conversation about why the police are called on black people for no reason,” she added.