An 18-year-old Minnesota woman says a Buffalo Wild Wings employee harassed her inside a restaurant bathroom in Owatonna.
Gerika Mudra said the incident occurred in April and that she felt uneasy as soon as she entered the restaurant.
Inside the women’s restroom, the situation escalated when a female server allegedly banged on her stall door and shouted at her.
“She came in yelling, ‘This is a women’s bathroom, the man has to get out,’” Mudra said in a recorded interview with her attorneys. “I was just like, ‘I am a girl,’ and she was like, ‘You need to get out now.’ So, I showed her like, I am a girl, and she just walked out and didn’t even apologize or anything.”
Mudra said she felt forced to prove her gender by showing her breasts to end the harassment.
Discrimination complaint filed
With the help of Gender Justice, a nonprofit firm, Mudra filed a discrimination complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights against the national chain.
Attorney Sara Jane Baldwin, representing Mudra, said they want more than an apology:
“See them commit to doing better, commit to creating a culture and workplace where people aren’t subject to this harassment and discrimination.”
Broader concerns
Minnesota state law prohibits discrimination in public services, but advocates warn that such incidents are happening more frequently.
“Sharing these stories is important. People hear this, not abstract concerns but real concerns happening in our communities,” said Kat Rohn, OutFront Minnesota Executive Director.
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights declined to comment, citing laws that prevent discussion of open cases.
WCCO reached out to Buffalo Wild Wings but has not received a response.
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