City Desk » Metro Weekly

Safeway Apologizes For Homophobic Slur

Rend Smith — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:51:17 +0000

Sure, everyone can be rude occasionally, even in the service industry. But at the Safeway at 1100 4th St. SW, near the Southwest waterfront, things went much farther last week.

Jason Morgan and his partner Brendan Harrington told Metro Weekly that they'd just put their food on the conveyor belt when they heard their check-out person say something awful: "Oh God, they're faggots."

Understandably, Harrington was taken aback. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said," he replied. The couple says the homophobic employee only got bolder: "You guys are fucking faggots."

Morgan and Harrington left their groceries where they were, went to the store's management, and later filed a complaint with the D.C. Office of Human Rights, Metro Weekly says.

Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells heard about the story and confronted Safeway, eliciting an apology:

We extend our sincerest apologies to Mr. Morgan and Mr. Harrington for the completely unacceptable comments by our employee. Safeway employs and serves people from all backgrounds, and absolutely does not condone discrimination or intolerance of any kind by any staff member. The company is reviewing the matter and will take appropriate corrective action.

There's a video that purportedly shows the clerk herself apologizing. A slight smile plays on her lips, though that could just be embarrassment. In any event, the mea culpa is a half-assed one, "I'm deeply sorry for if it offended him in any type of way."

Safeway spokesperson Craig Muckle says Safeway has tried to contact Morgan and Harrington to issue a "direct apology" to them, but haven't been able to reach them. As for the employee, she's being investigated, says Muckle. If the couple decides to return to Safeway, they don't have to worry about running into her, Muckle explains. "She's not in the store," he says. The cashier no longer has "contact with customers."

Muckle says he can't clarify whether she's been suspended or fired for legal reasons.

Update: Safeway has informed Wells that the cashier was fired.

Photo by Daquella manera via Flickr/Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0

Fuego/Frio: Women, Women, Women!

City Desk — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:04:05 +0000

This week's episode—a must-watch!—centers on the Examiner's super-late scoop on the whole "D.C. ranks number 1 in cocaine use" thing (hey, even we got there first!). Metro Weekly, meanwhile, gets dinged four times (count 'em!) for a.) an "ugly cover"; b.) a weak corrections policy; c.) an overly anonymous scene page; and d.) a shamefully male-centric masthead.

Inspirational quote of the week: "Get a woman on staff...women, women, women!"

Fishbowl: Pick Up the Phone!

Erik Wemple — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:24:44 +0000

On April 22, FishbowlDC broke a pretty sweet story on Metro Weekly. Citing "sources," FishbowlDC's Christine Delargy wrote that the publication would cease printing within three weeks and would move to an online-only approach.

One thing Delargy left out of her reporting: A call to Metro Weekly's management.

What?

Fuego/Frio: B’nai B’nai Love!

Ted Scheinman — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:58:47 +0000

In which Erik praises Metro Weekly, says "mazeltov" to B'nai Mitzvah, and expresses doubt that The Downtowner is actually in its sixth volume.

Meanwhile, we're really digging the food fight over at New York Times Magazine.

Trouble viewing? Try the YouTube version.

Fuego/Frio: A Conflict of Interest!

Ted Scheinman — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:01:24 +0000

Erik throws a stone at his own glass house this week, pausing briefly to wag a finger at El Pregonero for some blatant above-the-fold fluff.

Kudos goes forth to Metro Weekly, the Washington Hispanic, and the Blade, while the New York Times is en fuego on general principle.

Watch closely, folks, to see the walls of Jericho come tumbling down!

Trouble viewing? Try the YouTube version.