A hostile, unhinged “Karen” was caught on video verbally harassing and assaulting a Black Burger King employee. In a viral TikTok post filmed by a customer who witnessed the incident, a White customer begins yelling at the Pennsylvania employee.
Shaneda Foster is that Burger King employee seen on the video, who stood up to a “Karen” — a slang name referring to White women who appear entitled, using their White privilege to be demanding and confrontational, beyond what is appropriate.
“[Foster] stood up for customers, stood up for employees, and stopped a criminal ‘Karen’ from assaulting others,” said Dr. Rashad Richey, on the ‘Bullpen’ segment of his show, “Indisputable with Dr. Rashad Richey.”
Foster was fired for standing up to the aggressive customer. Richey played the video for viewers and then asked Foster what led up to the altercation. Foster says the incident began about 10 minutes before someone started recording the video.
“When you see her walking up to me and I’m telling her like, ‘I’m trying to be compassionate to you.’ That’s when she actually smacked me with the bag. Before she was just like, just tapping me, trying just bully me,” said Foster. “She actually physically smacked me with the bag.”
Foster says the incident began when “Karen” insisted on being served breakfast, after the hours of breakfast ended at Burger King, around 10:30 a.m. Foster said around that time, she ran out of breakfast food, and couldn’t serve it any longer.
“I offered to make the food for her. But I told her it would be about a 15-20 minute wait. And in the meantime, one of my managers actually gave her something. That’s why she got the bag to begin with, as [a] convenience […] and even that wasn’t enough,” said Foster.
The incident escalated quickly when “Karen” begins leaning toward the register and pointed at Foster. Foster asked “Karen” to get away. “Karen” then called Foster a derogatory term usually aimed at women.
Foster told Richey that “Karen” cursed at other customers, got in their faces, and hit the customers with the bag. Foster said “Karen” also tried to punch the other customers. Foster is heard on the video saying, “Get out of my store,” as “Karen” gets more violent.
In the video, “Karen” is seen confronting Foster, and appeared to assault her, using a brown paper bag. Foster says “Karen” slapped the bag across her face. It turned into a violent altercation.
“Karen” then begins moving toward the exit, and Foster said “Karen” continued yelling expletives. The two got in a physical tussle, as Foster said she attempted self-defense and physically removed “Karen” from the store. Foster is seen hitting and fighting back against “Karen” after she says “Karen” initiated the attack.
“When we were in the hallway, what you guys see on the video, she started punching me,” said Foster. “And I warned her, and I actually grabbed her hair. And then that’s what you see me dragging her outside. When she was on the ground, I was actually trying to help her up. I would never have [any] intentions of hurting this woman at all. I just wanted her to leave.”
Foster says once “Karen” was outside, “Karen’s” husband tried to intervene, attempting to physically confront Foster, with his hands up. She said he seemingly wanted to fight. She said there was another male Burger King employee outside trying to keep “Karen’s” husband away from her.
“It’s something that I’ve never thought that I would ever deal with ever. I’ve been in customer service since […] I was 19,” said Foster. “I’ve never experienced anything like that.”
Foster said she couldn’t believe she was assaulted by “Karen” over a breakfast meal. She has a 6-year-old daughter.
“I would always teach [my daughter] to be a better person. And that just made me realize that I need to go harder, and it makes me feel like I need to try harder with her because this world is getting to be really cold. It really is,” said Foster on the show.
Foster said she came back on Tuesday to work, after her scheduled days off following the incident. She said her head manager walked into the office, and the hiring representative was sitting there. Foster said the manager walked over in about five minutes and said, “[…] Human resources reviewed the footage, and don’t believe that you handle the situation properly, therefore you’re terminated.”
Foster said the manager never gave her the chance to explain her actions, and there was no discussion.
“I felt I deserved more than that,” said Foster.
“And you definitely did deserve more than that. And as I said, in my opinion, you were appropriate. You engaged in self-defense, and you also protected other customers,” Richey said to Foster on his show.
Foster said she had been working at that Burger King for more than a year, and she was appointed a manager during that time.
“So here’s how I see it, sister,” said Richey on his show. “You have two old White thugs, who decided to commit multiple acts of criminality against you and patrons of the establishment. You stood up as a manager. You are the person in charge. Buck stops with you. You took control and leadership of the situation. You got rid of the threat and you were punished for getting rid of the threat.”
Foster said she has been considering filing a wrongful termination lawsuit with an attorney, and being fired from Burger King has set her back financially.
“I have goals. I’m a single mom. So you know, I want to buy a house. I want to live a better life for [my daughter]. I want to be able to provide for her. It’s making things rough. It really is. You know, I put a lot of heart and soul into that establishment, into that business. A lot of hours and stuff like that. And I don’t want to call it time wasted, but that’s what I kind of feel like right now.”
A viewer on Richey’s “Indisputable” commented online about the interview, saying, “What she went through is wrong. I don’t have much, but I don’t like to see anyone going without, if I can help it. I’m hoping that she’ll be able to find work soon. I know how hard it is.”
Foster has started a GoFundMe account to help with her finances while she looks for a new job.
When Ms. Foster joined Richey’s TV show, she had $15.00 in her GoFundMe. The account is now headed towards $40,000.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/single-mom-in-need-after-tragedy
