What should have been a simple Friendsgiving dinner for nine women in Chesapeake, Virginia spiraled into what they describe as a blatant act of racial discrimination, one that left them humiliated, angry, and determined to seek justice.
The group had gathered at Cork and Bull Chophouse on Nov. 6, expecting good food and fellowship. Instead, they say they were ordered out of the restaurant moments after an unrelated fistfight broke out between two other Black women across the room.
The fight, captured on video and widely circulated online, involved only those two individuals, both of whom left the building before police arrived.
But according to the nine women, restaurant staff wrongly assumed they were connected to the altercation and moved quickly to expel them.
Because you all like to fight
Local resident Shakoya Holt said the group had barely ordered drinks when the chaos erupted.
“We only had time to order our drinks and a fight broke out between two African-American women that had nothing to do with us,” Holt explained. Moments later, she said, a manager approached their table with an accusation that stunned them.
“I asked why we were being asked to leave and he responded, ‘because you all like to fight.’”
The women said they were instructed to stand and walk out in full view of the restaurant — a moment they described as degrading and publicly shaming.
“We were all put in a negative spotlight in that moment. It was all eyes on us — very embarrassing,” added Ashley Pickens.
Legal action and calls for accountability
The group has now hired attorney Joyvan Malbon-Griffin, who says the incident raises serious civil rights concerns.
“Just because you have employees that might’ve made a bad judgment one night — that can turn into two nights, three nights, four nights. It has to stop,” she said.
She noted that the nine women were treated more harshly than the two people who actually fought.
“All nine of these women were treated more harshly than the two people engaged in the misdemeanor action. We can call this discrimination, we can say this violates equal protection — they have said enough is enough.”
The women say the restaurant has not reached out with an apology or explanation.
NAACP weighs in
The NAACP Virginia State Conference and the NAACP Chesapeake Branch issued a joint statement backing the women and calling the incident a troubling reminder of structural bias.
“This incident is a painful reminder that racism remains embedded in our daily lives… We must hold establishments accountable when they perpetuate racial stereotypes,” said Rev. Cozy Bailey, president of the state conference.
Restaurant silent
Local station 10 On Your Side reached out to the owners and general manager of Cork and Bull Chophouse for comment, but they have not responded.
For the women involved, the fight they never participated in has forced them into one of their own — a fight for dignity, fairness, and acknowledgment of the wrong they say was done to them.
As Holt put it plainly:
