A 17-year-old Burger King employee who was fired after exposing a coworker’s repeated use of a racial slur is getting the last laugh.
Public pressure and viral video footage led the fast food franchise to take action and terminate the individuals responsible.
The incident, which unfolded at a Burger King location in Crystal River, Florida, first gained traction on TikTok when the teen’s mother shared a video capturing the disturbing confrontation.
Caught on Camera: Racial Slur Sparked Heated Scene
Cellphone footage shows a white male employee admitting on camera to using the N-word while wearing a headset at work. In the video, two Black female customers confront him directly, asking, “Why would you say that?” The employee replies, “Because my coworker told me to,” and then repeats the slur several times.
According to the caption of the viral post, the teenager — who is Black — heard her manager and another coworker use the slur over the headset. Customers, appalled by what they heard, reportedly stepped in to defend her.
Fired for Speaking Out
The teen’s family says when the girl’s grandmother came to the restaurant to address the situation, management retaliated by firing the teen — not the coworkers who used the slur.
In a second video recorded at the restaurant, the teen is shown being told by a shift manager, “You don’t have to come in for your next shift.”
An adult family member then questions the manager about the decision, while the teen looks on. The family reported the incident to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, but they say deputies took no meaningful action at the scene.
Burger King Responds
As backlash spread, Atlanta Black Star reached out to Burger King for a comment. The company issued a statement condemning the incident and confirming that the franchise owner had terminated the individuals involved:
“We were deeply disturbed to learn of this incident. There is absolutely no place for racism or discrimination of any kind at Burger King. The Franchisee has terminated the individuals involved and is taking the matter very seriously – including reviewing diversity and sensitivity training across their teams and reaching out directly to those impacted.”
Online users flooded the teen and her family with messages of support, criticizing Burger King’s handling of the situation and applauding the teenager’s courage to stand up for herself in a toxic work environment.
