02.09.2026 12:40
In the US, a woman was thrown out of a cafe for saying she was scared when she saw a Muslim waitress. Her argument with the cafe manager was taken to court.
A woman living in the Midwest region of the United States has initiated legal proceedings against the manager of a cafe who kicked her out after she said she was "scared" upon seeing a 15-year-old Muslim waitress.
Michelle Wallpe, 49, from Noblesville, Indiana, argued with Alex Bevins, the 37-year-old manager of the local establishment Uptown Cafe, on August 22. The dispute, which spilled onto social media, quickly made its way to court.
The incident began when Wallpe noticed a 15-year-old employee wearing a hijab at the cafe. Stating that she was "scared" by this, the woman asked staff whether the cafe was "run by Muslims." In a video she later deleted, Wallpe recounted the events: "When I sat down, I saw an employee wearing a headscarf—whether you call it a habib or a hijab. I asked the waitress, even by chance, if Muslims ran the place. I was just curious because I got a bad vibe when I walked in; no one was friendly."
"Even the customers seemed tense; they looked focused, avoided eye contact, and turned their heads even when I smiled. So I asked one of the young girls if Muslims ran the place. She said 'No.' I said, 'Okay, good, just curious, I'm also afraid of them.'"
Wallpe said that after the young employees reported the situation, Manager Bevins came to her table and treated her "very rudely," and she claimed that when she asked him, "Are you okay?" as he brought the bill, he suddenly "went crazy." Speaking to her Facebook followers, she said, "He told me, 'You need to leave; you can't come here again; you can't ask such questions.'"
In response, Bevins, who released his own video, said that upon hearing Wallpe's comments to his staff, he "felt he had to do something in that moment." Noting that the local community showed great love and support for the 15-year-old Muslim waitress, Bevins said, "It's really great that people can come together and just be kind in times like these." Bevins later posted on Facebook: "There is no room for racism, hate, or discrimination at Uptown. I love the people I work with with all my heart; I will always defend them and ensure they feel valued, supported, and protected."
However, events quickly escalated. Wallpe, who reacted to being called a "racist," filed a formal complaint against Bevins. In her complaint, Wallpe claimed that Bevins began "shouting" in the cafe before kicking her out. "I paid the bill and left. I shared a short video on my Facebook page about the poor service and that I would report it to the boss. It was around 1:00 p.m. By 5:00 p.m., my video had reached 9,000 views, with hundreds of abusive and threatening comments under it. A few comments were also from Alex," she stated.
Arguing that Bevins "exploited her fears" and continued the harassment, Wallpe stated that the manager shared a photo of her taken with a headscarf at her Catholic church. "This is extremely degrading, childish, and unprofessional behavior," Wallpe said in her petition.
In a peculiar post on Facebook, Wallpe claimed that her fear of Muslims stemmed from incidents like "people being stoned in Dearborn, Michigan." In her post, Wallpe wrote: "Please understand that American laws are for all of us. Being afraid is not a crime or hate speech. If you follow American laws, you won't be afraid of anyone and won't face hate from anyone."