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A couple alleged that security guards at the cidery in Orange County, located in Walden, racially profiled them on Sunday, July 21, as they sought to celebrate what should have been a happy occasion.
On Facebook, Marie Cleone detailed her experience, which began with a Manhattan brunch for her fiancé’s 40th birthday party and ended with the group of eight heading north to Angry Orchard.
Cleone said that her now-fiancee walked her out to an empty table on the lawn, at which point a member of security approached them and said: “I’m sorry sir, but I have to check your back pocket. I was told you stole a T-shirt from the gift store.”
“My boyfriend then emptied all of his pockets, while still trying to keep the ring box hidden from my sight. She then walked away, and my boyfriend and I sat down at the table and he began his proposal speech,” she wrote.”MID PROPOSAL, the same young lady from security walks back towards and says to me, ‘I’m sorry, I need to check your bag. I was told that he gave it to you, and you put it in your bag.’ Mind you, my bag isn’t even large enough to fit a T-shirt.”
Cleone, who is a doctor, proceeded to empty her bag and questioned whether the security guards were harassing them “because (they’re) the only Black people here at (the) establishment.”
As the two attempted to celebrate their proposal, their six friends came over, at which point security again intervened, stating that they needed to search each of their pockets and bags.
“Security started taking our pictures, recording video, and took a picture of my license plate number. We as a group decided to leave rather than be attacked by the multiple security guards of Angry Orchard,” she said. “I have never been so humiliated in my life, myself and some of my friends left Angry Orchard in tears. On what was supposed to be one of the best days of my life, I was chased out of Angry Orchard by security who followed us all the way to the parking lot.”
In response to the incident, Angry Orchard said in a statement that it got in touch with the guests involved to apologize and that the security team and manager that was on duty at the time have all been let go. Angry Orchard said that it hoped the experience can be a learning lesson.
The company is also initiating “additional, mandatory training on security awareness and unconscious bias for everyone on staff to prevent something like this from happening in the future.“
“We’re deeply sorry that our guests were mistreated,” the company said in the statement. “This event does not reflect our company values of respect for all and creating a welcoming environment for our guests, and while we wish it didn’t occur at all, we are treating this moment as a valuable learning experience for our staff.”
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