Disabled Toddler Asked to Leave Panera Bread Restaurant for Wearing Special 'Squeaky' Shoes (VIDEO)
A mother and daughter were reportedly asked to leave a Panera Bread restaurant in Savannah, Georgia because the little girl's shoes were bothering a customer. How so? They are specially-designed orthopedic shoes that squeak to let the girl know when she is walking correctly. Now the parents are upset and Panera Bread is apologizing for the scenario.
According to the girl's father, Stephen Duke, his wife Catherine and daughter Emma were at the restaurant earlier this month when they were approached by an employee and given the option to either remove Emma's shoes or leave the restaurant because the noise was bothering a customer. The whole ordeal left the family stunned.
"The employee and the manager knew what we'd been going through with Emma because she and my wife go there so frequently," Stephen told Good Morning America. "They knew why she had the shoes so that's the thing that shocked us the most."
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The family said that Emma suffers from an un-diagnosed illness that has led to developmental delays, including the ability to walk properly.
"She just started to try to walk at 23 months, which is very late, so the orthopedist recommended special shoes to her for better ankle support," Stephen explained. "The shoes squeak as an incentive when she walks heel-to-toe, so she'll hear it and know that she's walking properly."
Catherine later filed a complaint with management, leading to an apology from the corporation and an offer to host a fundraiser for Emma.
"On Saturday, Catherine and Emma met at the restaurant with corporate staff, the employee and the franchise manager. They apologized and said that is not something Panera does and that they want to be a welcoming store. We're not expecting a handout by any means, but we do appreciate the fundraiser because Emma's bills for all the specialists and treatments are so enormous," Stephen said.
Panera Bread has issued a statement about the situation, assuring customers that it "does not tolerate discrimination of any kind" and "the last thing we would want to do is make anyone feel unwelcome." The company also confirmed that management had met with the Duke family and that they are always welcome at the restaurant.
Watch a video featuring the squeaky shoes HERE:
