The Lexington, Virginia restaurant that kicked White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and her family out has shut its doors for an extended period and the owner is no longer the Executive Director of a group of local owners who work to promote the community.
Stephanie Wilkinson resigned from Main Street Lexington, a group working to revitalize the city’s downtown area, just days after she rudely kicked Sanders and her entire family out of the Red Hen, a restaurant she owns, then stalked them to another restaurant, called in a mob, and harassed them while they ate. The entire atrocious affair was due to Wilkinson’s hatred of the president.
Main Street Lexington’s Board President, Elizabeth Branner, accepted Wilkonson’s resignation Tuesday morning.
“Considering the events of the past weekend, Stephanie felt it best that for the continued success of Main Street Lexington, she should step aside,” Branner wrote in an email. (Related: MXDC Cocina Mexicana escapes the fate of the Red Hen)
The Red Hen has been closed since the incident and, according to news reports, won’t open back up until at least July 5th.
'The Red Hen' restaurant that kicked out @PressSec Sarah Sanders on Friday will remain closed until next week, and the owner has resigned from a local business organization. @dougmckelway reports. #SpecialReport https://t.co/BByZS6we0d pic.twitter.com/AosxIUacFF
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 26, 2018
While the extended shutdown will cost the employees and owners significantly, the decision to kick the Sanders family out of the restaurant was come to by a vote. If there were any dissenters, they are the only ones being hurt by someone else’s decision.
The restaurant has been the subject of pro-Trump gatherings throughout the day Tuesday and Wednesday.
Due to Wilkinson’s hatred of the president….
Anyone who know’s this woman, knows it’s not a her first in demonstrating hatred.
All who support her and her hatred are haters as well.
Hopefully she will have hate come back twice as strong as she gave innocent people.
Karma
Children can’t even behave this way, without being punished. Bullying!
This Wilkinson must have a real problem with the “love your enemy” part of Christianity. No moral high ground for the I’m with her movement. It is said that karma is a bitch, but only to those who are!
These yankee doodle (not so dandy) come to Rockbridge County from S-Holes that they helped to foul up by their greed and they bring that culture they escaped from and transplant it in Historic Rockbridge. The locals are not part of this. Wake Up ! Its happening all around the country. These folks arent gonna stand for you killing their heritage. When you try to dig up Stonewall Jackson and relocate Robert E. Lee they will not tolerate you. They will remove you from their land. That ain’t NY or CA you’re dealing with and its not the Andy Griffith Show. They obviously havent been to Arnolds Valley!!!!!!
The idea that the employees are in part responsible because of a vote is ridiculous. Would you vote against your boss? Of course not. Thus is all on the owner.
I have voted against my supervisors and owners on different topics through the years, , some we won some we lost.
just think we have a fit because of the way martin luther king was treated
Karma is a bitch. Glad she’s shut down. I hope no one patronizes her anymore.
I hope they stay shut down for good. Not a responsible way to run a business. Everyone knows you are supposed to put your opinions aside when it comes to business. Such vile hatred should not be tolerated. You hate our president that much? I hear Mexico has vacancies!
I agree I have a business and I do not use most bumper stickers etc .
HAHA! Maybe if all the libs started running to mexico we really COULD get mexico to build the wall!
A bully bitch….I hope they never open again…I’d eat from garbage cans before I’d eat there…
I believe she is about to lose more than her seat on Main Street Lexington. Her boorish attitude and ignorance don’t represent most of VA. Is she a transplant? I hear transplants from up north are screwing up a lot of areas, which isn’t surprising since they screwed up the places they came from.
yup she is from NY
Maggie Luthy, thank you for being just as ignorant as this restaurant owner. I am a native New Yorker and find her actions disgusting! Don’t paint all New Yorker with a broad brush. The liberal New Yorkers are the 8 million people that live in Manhatten but are NOT native New Yorkers. I’ve retired to Tennessee and most assume I’m liberal and many have commented to me that they can’t believe I’m a conservative. Educate yourself before making stupid comments, you made a fool of yourself.
So Jean, are you from UPSTATE NY or NY City?…..I assume NYCity because you brought “Manhattan” into the conversation. I LOVE (sarcasm) how N Y City people think the ‘City’ is all that is New York. I’m from UPSTATE NY and realize the ‘City’ is part of the state. How about you:?
Jean, you are correct that all people from NY, NJ, etc. are not liberals. I have several friends from NY, NJ, PA, OH, etc. Unfortunately you and they are the exceptions, not the rule. I do not paint them all with the same brush but the vast majority are not like you. One of our biggest problems where I live here in SC in many, many people moving down here from the aforementioned States, complaining about how things are there while at the same time trying to change my home into where they came from. If they hated it so much there that they moved here to get away from those things, why in the world do they immediately try to turn “here” into “there”??? Glad you are the exception. You and those like you are welcome here!!!
“Maggie Luthy, thank you for being just as ignorant as this restaurant owner.”
Um…Maggie didn’t say anything other than that the restaurant owner is from NY.
She just confirmed that the restaurant owner wasn’t a native Virginian, as was hinted at by the poster she was responding to.
She, in no way, inferred, implied or even hinted about the political inclinations of New Yorkers, only stated where the restaurant owner is from.
Which means YOU are the one who drew the conclusion that she must have meant New Yorkers are liberals. That ignorance that you attributed to Maggy? That was ALL you.
By The Way: Outliers do not disprove a general truth. MOST of the transplants from New York here in Virginia are flaming liberals that fled the high taxes, high cost of living and oppressive government of their home states only to immediately start trying to turn Virginia into what they just fled.
If you don’t fit that generalization, good on you. But that doesn’t make the generalization false.
okay….UPSTATE N Y…..or…..NY City……HUGE difference !!
And, by “Upstate”, Susan doesn’t mean just the Hudson Valley. There is a great, big wide State above NYC.
If your political views is an excuse to not serve people in your business then maybe all businesses should be required to have a sign in their window stating their views. Then I could choose where to spend my money.
ever done business with negros ?? no tips want everything for nothing don’t pay the bills gripe excessively 50x over whites . so if it were me . I would shut them out . not generally worth the hassle . and thats just business . But we do not do this !!
They were just practicing their right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. .
true…..but where does the line get drawn? Clearly if someone is refused service because of their race, gender orientation , religious beliefs or sex, people would raise hell and cry about civil rights violations….like when the baker declined to create a special cake to celebrate something against his beliefs or when 2 men were asked to leave a coffee shop because they weren’t buying anything. So …is it also ok to kick people out because they are Yankee fans, or wear white after Labor Day or sandals and socks? Some people seem to be ok with all this because they voted for Hillary so imagine the tables turned and places refusing you service because of that. Shall we initiate the “republicans only” drinking fountains and restrooms and have them sit in the back of the bus? Any sign I have ever seen always read “we RESERVE the right to refuse service” . There was nothing “reserved” about booting out paying non-rowdy customers because you don’t like their boss. Sure, they have that right. But the same people that are applauding this are the same people that were so indignant about the cake decorator.
You’re not mentioning the fact that after booting them out, she organized a crowd to harrass them at another business. She’s not exactly a model citizen looking out for her town and fellow business owners.
A Washington Post caption under a photo of the restaurant reads:
A placard quoting the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend” — sits in the window of the Red Hen, which opened in Lexington in 2008. The owner Stephanie Wilkinson certainly doesn’t practice what she supposedly advocates.
That part is fine. But when there owner followed them across the street and began to harass the family is when she crossed the line.
Karma is a great equalizer!
The “right to refuse service to anyone” has been legally validated with these conditions: 1) You cannot deny service to anyone in a protected class unless they are causing a disturbance and/or 2) you are consistent in your denial — that is, everyone doing what you used as your “reason” is denied service. So, does that mean that they are going to check voter registration cards at the door and deny service to all who are registered Republicans?
your post is the most logical intelligent reasonable one I have seen to date on this subject. Congratulations. BTW it is sad to see “protected class”
as this goes against our Constitution but your statement is accurate nonetheless.
I believe that “Protected Class” in this case Is a legal term to refer to a previously defined list of items that cannot be discriminated against, such as age, sex, race, religion, etc.. It just helps to legally define what can and cannot be discriminated against.
Big Difference between Refusing and Harassing
So next time someone refuses to bake a wedding cake for homosexuals and then follows them to other bakeries causing a scene and gathering a mob, it’s all cool….right?
Apparently.
The owner of the Bakery did NOT do that. In fact, he offered them other cakes. He has refused in the PAST, so quit your LYING typical Liberal B.S.
His post was sarcastic. Dang, I hate it when people don’t understand sarcasm
What’s your point?
That people should respond to sarcasm, even when it is so obviously based on a false premise?
Why?
Sorry…”shouldn’t respond”, not “should”
Take a look at the pictures of this restaurant… small, how many people can be served in it? Maybe about 20 =25. How much revenue could she be making? Liquor license? I doubt it. She was probably losing her shirt and decided on this course of free advertising. Hope her liberal buddies support her. I doubt that too.
I have a cousin that lives there. She tells me the area is pre-dominately conservative folks.
Your cousin is correct. In 2016, Rockbridge County, where Lexington sits, went for President Trump by 62.4%. The county is R+30 which means that if the area is home to 30% Democrats, it is also home to 60% Republicans.
I hope they lose their business license and stay closed
I have always loved the history of Robert E Lee, and VMI. When in Lexington. Now I’ll always remember it for a rude self centered liberal hater who disgraced this lovely town…
That breaks my heart. My son will be a 3rd (Sophomore) at VMI. The community rallies around the students and show them nothing but support and love. They host and feed these kids who are far away from home. Since the rats (freshman) aren’t allowed their phones for 6 months, the parishioners at church leave their cell phones out for students to call home. And this is a military school! I hate that now, this is what this quaint little town will be remembered for. I was really stunned to hear of the treatment of Sarah and her family. Please don’t judge the hearts of the rest of that town on one persons stupidity.
Refusal of service is one thing! Continued harassment is the bad choice she made. Karma has a way of biting you on the a**!!!
Refusing service on the basis of being a Trump supporter is discrimination. There were no religious rights involved that the owner was adhering too. This was just plain mean spirit unjustly directed at Sarah and her family.
Absolutely right!!! Stephanie Wilkerson is proving that she is as much of a Delusional Liberal LOSER as Cousin Meryl Streep. The Democratic Party made a fine choice in their mascot selection…..A JACKASS!!! They prove day in and day out that they can live up to the reputation of the BEAST.
I’m always curious if you fools that keep bringing up the gay cake thing are purposely lying or just massively stupid. The owner offered to sell them anything in the shop, but refused to use his artistic talents to participate in a ceremony that went against his religious beliefs.
The couple DROVE PAST 34 BAKERIES to go to this one for the sole purpose of causing trouble. He objected to designing some kind of penis cake or whatever it was and was well within his rights. The SCOTUS decision said the Colorado civil rights commission never gave him a fair hearing. Boy, that’s a shock. The whole argument is specious and a total lie, but that never stops lying, thieving Dims.
I agree with you. Our Town Flower Lady at Arlene’s Flowers had made them flowers before but could not do it for their Wedding. To me, Their business, Their Choice.
Correct. But then the dims don’t want folks to know the facts. Facts are “racist” and not “inclusive.” God help us.
Thank You. Very Well Said.
Here they were trying to “protect” their gay employees from the big, bad Trump employee, but, instead, they may have put them all out of a job.
All I can do is shake my head and pray to God that my child and our children do not learn from the owner of the Red Hen and her employees’ vile manners.
Recently there was a small pole that reporter Jeff Glor did on CBS news. 2 Republicans, 2 Liberals and 1 Independant. He asked them all if they would refuse service to Sarah Saunders and the 2 R and 1 I said they would never refuse service to her – even though the Independent wasn’t in love with the way she treated the Press (which frankly I think they all deserve the way they are treated). Both of the Liberal voters adamantly stated that they would have refused her and her group service without flinching. And both of them were of Hispanic origin. Hmmmm …. we just can’t give immigrants enough. I guess trying to cut off the free train gets your dinner invitation cut off too.
God help this world. We are spiraling down very quickly and I don’t see an end to the craziness. There is always Karma. Thank God for Karma.
KARMA and GOD don’t like UGLY. I predict Stupid Stephanie Wilkerson will be donning that Pink Pussy Hat and heading home soon to NY permanently, once she realizes that the good folks of VA don’t play that way.
Please remember July 5th and keep up the protest. If you patron there, respectfully show your support for Press Sec. Sanders and the American people. You don’t need to harass patrons. But do things like read articles on the subject in the restaurant. Talk about the Bible if you are a Christian. Talk about cases where illegal immigrants have did harm to our fellow citizens and have escaped justice by jumping the boarder to return again and do the same thing or worst. Give comparisons on how we still incarcerate rapists, murderers, thieves, etc. even if they are parents and/or the glue that holds that family together. In short, if you want to make a point in showing that this restaurant is a place of bigots. One of the best ways to prove it is to discuss the things they hate in an honest and truthful manner that shows that they have NO idea what is really going on.
Liberal are liers and hypocrites from the top, Obama, spyed and got caught, then lied again about using Hillary’s e-mail, socialists just lie, lie, lie, whoever votes for another liberal condones’ lying, cheating, spying, they have no morals, they need to leave America. . .
What the owner did was well within her rights as a citizen who has put at risk her personal capital to own and operate a small business. What she missed was how we must often put aside our personal beliefs in the pursuit of business interests – AKA “Profits”. That poor decision will cost her plenty before the storm subsides. Me, on the other hand, recently encountered a young friend of mine who had been the campaign chairman for a successful “independent” political candidate. I believe this “independent” young elected official will likely side with the left on most issues. My reaction to our chance encounter was to send the young campaign manager a beer from “the loyal opposition”. A nice conversation ensued in which several rounds were consumed. That’s the way you interact with your political opposites in a public place !!!
My only regret is that I can not deny them any of my business since I live in another state. I hope she never recovers from this voluntary display of hatred.
The employees seem to be as guilty of bigotry as the New Yawk manager was. Maybe they can get a $15 an hour job as a burger flipper, but I’ll not bleed for their asinine decisions …
I thought that after the Civil Rights Act of 1965, as amended, we could all sit down at the same lunch counter and receive the same courteous service, regardless of race creed or color. Those of us who advocated civil and political equality agreed to treat other members of the public as equals, respectfully, in spite of our many differences. Those of us who did not advocate social or political equality, continued to act disrespectfully. The legislation apparently changed nothing. Unless I am mistaken, it is still possible to legally bar Black Republicans, Jewish Republicans, Gay Republicans, Female Republicans, etc. from the lunch counter.
Leave it to a Lawyer to discover that creed wasn’t protected. I wonder if the Lawyer is employed by the ACLU. Who said: “I disagree with what you say, but I’ll defend with my life you right to (politely) say it.” I think we need to make America polite again.