Triple XXX owners deny racial charges
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 11/11/2008
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The owners of an all-night restaurant at the center of racial charges vehemently deny race as the reason for a Nov. 2 disturbance at the diner.
The owners of Triple XXX, Greg and Carrie Ehresman, released a statement Monday regarding the incident, and said they found the suggestion that the events were racially motivated to be "repugnant."
The Erhesmans said they highly value the diversity of the culturally rich community in which they live and which also supports their business.
In the statement the owners said customers are sometimes asked to sit outside the restaurant until seating becomes available and also to comply with occupancy and fire regulations.
"This is the only reason we must occasionally ask patrons to wait outside until we can clean and prepare the counter for incoming patrons.
"We never have, and we never will tolerate discriminatory practices with respect to the services we provide to other customers."
The owners said if the investigation revealed any misconduct on the part of one of the employees involved, they intend to take "prompt and appropriate disciplinary action to assure that standards of conduct we so highly value are maintained."
Meisha Waters, one of seven black patrons involved in the case, said the situation might be improved through the termination of employees and she hoped changes will be made. Waters, a senior in the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences, and several members of the community came together during an open forum Sunday night, organized by the Purdue chapter of the NAACP. On Monday morning, Ronard Black, president of the Purdue NAACP, met with Tony Hawkins, dean of students, and discussed recent incidents on- and off-campus.
Hawkins said the recent presidential election might have contributed to the heightened racial sensitivity. He thought the election may have attributed to the painting of an anti-Obama message on the tree between Class of 1950 Lecture Hall and the Recitation Building that is an area where black and Latino students typically gather.
"Following the recent election, there is obviously both joy and disappointment, depending on which candidate one chose to support," Hawkins wrote in an e-mail.
He went on to say that the campus community and the student body can have reasonable hope that society wishes to continue moving away from a racial divide. Hawkins said the University would diligently enforce policies and regulations regarding harassment and discrimination.
Black said Purdue administrators have been supportive of student-organized events that address discrimination, as long as the events are done in an organized fashion that does not disrupt classes. He said the rally at 3 p.m. today next to the tree by the Class of 1950 Lecture Hall is intended to educate and unite campus.
"It's important to get information out there because this stuff has been going on for so long and no one says anything about it. Right now we're just trying to create a safe environment for everyone on campus," Black said.