POINT PLEASANT BEACH – After an internal investigation, an employee accused of racism by a customer has been fired, Jenkinson’s Boardwalk management reported.
“As a result of this investigation, the gift shop employee has been terminated effective immediately,” a press release from the company read.
A video had been posted online by Attiyya Barrett, director of the Princess to Queenz outreach group, that showed a confrontation on Aug. 10 between her and an employee of the gift shop at the aquarium. The video itself is short, and the beginning and end appear to have been cut off. What both women seem to agree on, given the short video, was that a group of girls from Barrett’s group entered the shop, but were asked to leave because they didn’t have a chaperone. Then, when they returned with a chaperone, the employee told them they’re “not welcome here.”
The employee said, in the video, that it was because she did not realize that they had been sent back in with a chaperone.
Barrett said that it was because the girls were black.
“This incident does not reflect the core values of the boardwalk,” the press release continued. “In our 90-year history, Jenkinson’s has always been and will continue to be the place where people from all races, religions, ages, genders, and cultures are welcome. We are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving our culture of diversity and inclusion. Jenkinson’s will also be conducting a diversity training program for its employees in the very near future to avoid this type of occurrence in the future.”
A previous press release had stated that Jenkinson’s had been in contact with Barrett to apologize and make amends.
