Remember the woman who harassed a San Diego Starbucks barista for refusing to serve her since she wasn't wearing a face mask? According to latest news reports, she is now claiming to be the "victim" in the whole situation and wants to receive a portion of the donated tips the barista received.
Slashdot shared the details about Amber Lynn Gilles' reaction and the response to how the barista, Lenin Gutierrez, received praise from different groups and people around the world, taking home more than $100,000 in donated tips from the incident.
First frame of the video of San Diego Starbucks employee Lenin Gutierrez.
Now, Gilles is saying she also wants part of the money "because they're using me to get it." She issued a complaint through the New York Times pointing out that these parties are using her name and face, and that "they're slandering" her.
On June 22, the incident made rounds online when the woman posted a photo of Gutierrez on Facebook showing how she was refused service in the Starbucks branch. She shamed Gutierrez in the post.
Apparently, the barista was only following protocols since the woman wasn't wearing a face mask when she placed her order. The woman exclaimed, "Next time I will wait for cops and bring a medical exemption!"
The Starbucks barista earned the sympathy of people online, and a GoFundMe campaign that was set up managed to gather $105,450 in support.
Also Read: Starbucks' Internet is the fastest public Wi-Fi
Meeting with an advisor
Gutierrez is now meeting with a financial advisor to discuss how he can manage the funds he received from the generosity of strangers. He is also staying at his job at Starbucks, but the money given to him will be of great help for his college education.
He wants to pursue a degree in kinesiology, according to Slashdot. Kinesiology is the study of human movement. Some of the money, he said, will be donated to charitable groups.
"I can't be grateful enough," he said.
Gilles wants to get funded
The incident, however, is not an isolated event at a Starbucks branch. On July 1, a few days before the Independence Day, a woman of Islamic faith posted a photo of her drink with the word "Isis" instead of her name on it. She ordered the drink at a Starbucks outlet in St. Paul, Minnesota, Sahan Journal reported.
A local chapter press release said that the employee did not hear her name correctly, and was not the first time that a customer felt "harassed" by an employee's behavior or conduct.
In other news, a Starbucks employee in Jakarta, Indonesia was accused of harassment after posting videos online, showing himself and his co-worker feasting upon the body of a female customer. He has already been removed from the post, and is now facing charges, The Jakarta Post updated.
Meanwhile, with Gutierrez's fight, the GoFundMe page that provided him with the funds said, "Thank you CNN and Chris Cuomo for closing out Cuomo Prime Time with Lenin's story and the GoFundMe. This is not about your freedom. Your freedom to wear, or not wear a mask, ends where it encroaches on somebody else's freedom not to get sick from you. Surrendered me to the we."
