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Dunkin 'Donuts, which is currently undergoing a major brand change and will renounce its name next January, is experiencing a new public relations crisis.
An employee of Syracuse, New York, NY, was filmed by another employee as he poured a cup of water over a man with his head down in the mostly empty Dunkin site, before make fun of him. Since the video went live on Sunday, it has been viewed more than 3.3 million times.
The Syracuse man sprinkled with water, Jeremey Dufresne, was at the location of the donut chain to reload his phone so he could call his mother to say good night to him, as he does every night, according to Syracuse .com. Dufresne suffers from schizophrenia and is homeless because he prefers to live outside, he told a Syracuse.com reporter. Dufresne also stated that other employees of the franchise had already been kind to him by providing him with food and drink and asking him not to disturb other guests. He said no.
In a statement provided by Kimberly Wolak, chief operating officer of the Wolak Group, which operates 85 Dunkin's Donuts franchises in Maine, New Hampshire and New York, she said, "As franchisees, we have been extremely disturbed by the behavior of our company. employees captured in the video. "
Wolak added about the incident: "Not only has this violated our written policies, but it goes against our core values as an organization, including the creation of new ones. a welcoming and hospitable environment and treating everyone with dignity and respect. Employees involved in the incident have been fired and we will contact the individual of the video in order to apologize for this negative experience. "
A small demonstration broke out in front of the store on Monday and at least one other individual says he is trying to help improve Dufresne's suffering. A GoFundMe page created to provide Dufresne and his family with money for their problems has raised more than $ 14,000 to date. The goal was set at $ 150.
Wolak added that franchise owners were planning to work with local advocates to educate employees on how to engage with homeless people, including guiding them to the community for appropriate assistance.
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