Gay Teen Says He Was Forced To Wear 'Gaytard' Name Tag At Taco Chain

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A gay South Dakota teen is speaking out after allegedly being forced to wear a homophobic name tag at his job at a fast-food Mexican restaurant.

Tyler Brandt, 16, says his manager at Taco John's in Yankton was agitated with him and verbally abusive from the time he first started working there, according to local news station KELO. The situation came to a head on Monday, June 23, when he said the manager gave him a name tag that read "Gaytard."

"I put it on because I didn't want to upset him and I felt that if I did do anything to upset him, it would cause me to lose my job because he'd be looking for ways to fire me," Brandt told the station. He said he tried to remove the tag during the day but that the manager forced him to wear it in front of customers for his shift.

A manager at the restaurant has denied the allegation.

I guess I'd have to feel pretty upset if this is true and probably even more so to find that this is a scam. In the article you'll find both sides of the story and I'd be willing to bet that it's somewhere in the middle where the truth lies. I read through some of the comments and the manager is apparently a dick and is the owner's grandson. Even if what the manager says is true in his defense, who in their right mind would allow an employee to wear that nametag even if all sides are agreeable? This happened June 23 and the kid quit the next day. He's probably in line for a tidy severance package.

SMH

a reply to: dfens

If he had any self respect in the 1st place he would have never put it on, and just walked out. Yeah, the management was stupid and they should expect to be sued into bankruptcy.

But the kid allowed it to happen.

If you allow people to push you around, expect to be pushed around.

Sounds like a manager may be among the very unemployed, very soon if anything supports this story in a real way. I mean, there must have been a lot of customers who noticed this. That is a name tag even I'd tend to notice and remember.

Perhaps the manager needs more than fired...perhaps some civil liability as a reminder to keep giving for a few years would be appropriate.

Did I mention how much I really hate bullies?

He probably saw how much sympathy the KFC grandma got for herself and her granddaughter that he thought he would try it for himself. Sadly it is harder to believe these stories now.

a reply to: Wrabbit2000

Personally the manager earned to be unemployed, this is not how managers should treat their employers, but yeah i agree with you with what you said.

Earlier this month, Taco John's partnered with STOMP Out Bullying, a bullying-prevention group, in an effort to spread awareness about and put an end to the problem.

lol

What does South Dakota know about making Mexican food. Maybe it simulated.

a reply to: watchitburn
Yeah, I have to agree. The manager had to make it for him, which the manager should never have done. Customers who saw something like that could easily become offended and raised a real ruckus. It makes me think of that KFC scam, or better the BBQ place in Texas.

non-issue 'deadline' headline SnewZe *yawn*

's this all we got, folks. !?

some kid that agreed to wear a nametag they desired fabricated, only to bitch, moan and complain afterwards, as if they'd Actualy 'been forced to wear it' !?




epic fail in the 'make a scene' genre, imho.

next.

Could be the guy needed the job. In this economy, quitting a job isn't something to rush to. I'm sure many won't understand that though.

a reply to: roadgravel
I've had Taco John's on many occasions and yeah it sucks. Simulated is a good word to describe the meat.

Reading some comments about the particular manager, it seems that the guy is a bully so how easier to prove you're not than do some PR propaganda? They'll probably have to do some more awareness campaigning to tighten up their image in light of this.

If it's true then I feel sorry for the kid. But these stories have lost a lot of their punch after this waitress was found to be a liar:

Family Accuses Gay Server Of Fraud; Says She Lied About Anti-Gay Note And Not Leaving A Tip

A little more backstory about the Waitress Who Lied About Anti-Gay 'Tip' Has Told Far Worse Lies.

Could the kid be telling the truth? Absolutely! But sadly his story will now be met with even more skepticism thanks to those that were pushing an agenda by deception and outright lies.

From what I've read in the comments section, the manager is known to be a bully and an a-hole. No matter if that is true or not, or if the kid was forced to wear the tag or not, the manager's decision to have him wear it in front of customers wasn't only a poor choice but one that could end up costing the restaurant some nice bucks.

Very poor decision on his part.

I am not buying into this one. I have hired hundreds of workers in my lifetime and sense a poor worker here. He might be gay or not, but I will bet on him being a poor worker with an attitude. I used to be pretty tough on lame ass workers. Especially where there was an attitude. I fired very few people. They would quit. (Construction crews). Now adays workers are sissies (only had 6 women work for me all those years and they worked out fine) and would rather cry than manup and perform a task efficiently. The unions effectively weed these types out. Always loved managing union crews, they are so professional. But my bets are on this kid being a very poor worker that caught heat for it and set up this a** hole manager. Thats why you hire that kind of manager. As an owner you either have to be an a.h. yourself and be a good one at that, or you hire one. You dont want to be the guy who fires people before Christmas and other nasty business decisions that would make you look heartless. So you hire an a.h. to do it. This nugget comes from Harvey Makey "Swim With the Sharks, without being eaten alive".

Yeah, this smells like a staged attempt by the kid. And of couse he didnt like the manager, who ever does?

Well, true or not people have already trashed them on Yelp.

a reply to: Lipton
That's really the point I wanted to post this. This kid is getting national press for something that is pretty lame and it'll make people in the future get brushed aside. I think it's wrong to use issues like this for personal gain. Hard to say that you're emotionally scarred for life, especially on these ticky tack fouls. I've worked for people who were way worse and I haven't been able to get in the Huffington Post or get a lawsuit. Never wanted to either. It's also stigmatizing to your career when you cry wolf.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Those comments of people that say they ate there read totally made up. And the one where the review says gaytard over and over again takes the cake.
Ya I am thinking disgruntled employee that got called this one time and hasn't let it go

Yeah..... the truth on this one sounds a like it may be a little different from what the young lad claims.

Yankton Taco John manager John Scott, however, has a different story. He told the Press & Dakotan that Brandt chose to wear the offensive name tag.

“From what I understand, they were all joking around," Scott said. "Everyone has a nickname here, and he wanted a nickname. [Gaytard is] what he picked for a nickname. He wasn’t forced to wear the name tag. He asked the manager to make that name tag for him. He handed it to him. He didn’t tell him he had to wear it. He put it on himself and created the situation. He said the manager forced him to do it. The manager didn’t force him to do anything.”

From the source article.

This is not gay discrimination, but it does highlight the dangers of letting people have nicknames in the workplace. Being both gay and a manager myself, I'd have stomped on the nickname practice well before the gaytard nametag was put on the boy.

As they say, it only takes one idiot to ruin it for everyone.... hence why things like nicknames can quickly turn into managerial quicksand.

Whether the kid asked for the nametag or not is not really all that relevant. If the manager allowed him to wear it, the manager was allowing him to create a hostile work environment. Moreoever, it could be seen as an EEOC issue if someone wants to allege a frivolous attitude toward mentally impaired people.

If you are a manager, you are criminally and civilly liable for your decisions. That means you can be sued personally for what you do.

Perhaps Brandt is a tool, perhaps not, I don't know for sure. But I can say without any doubt that the manager is a complete idiot.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
Those comments of people that say they ate there read totally made up. And the one where the review says gaytard over and over again takes the cake.

They are made up. The only legitimate one appears to be from May prior to this occurring.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
Whether the kid asked for the nametag or not is not really all that relevant. If the manager allowed him to wear it, the manager was allowing him to create a hostile work environment. Moreoever, it could be seen as an EEOC issue if someone wants to allege a frivolous attitude toward mentally impaired people.

If you are a manager, you are criminally and civilly liable for your decisions. That means you can be sued personally for what you do.

Perhaps Brandt is a tool, perhaps not, I don't know for sure. But I can say without any doubt that the manager is a complete idiot.

agreed. the manager should be shopping for ramens right about now, on his severance check.

again .... ??? .... is it the ignorance of youth or the innocent exuberance that finds them in these type spots. ??!!

LOL