DURHAM, N.C. _ The owner of Joe Van Gogh coffee company has apologized for its handling of a situation at its Duke location, where two baristas were fired after a university vice president complained about profanity-laced rap music playing at the shop.
Robbie Roberts, the coffee shop owner, posted an apology on Twitter on Wednesday after the employee firings had made national news. He said the business was taking steps "to remedy this matter," but did not elaborate, saying that company personnel issues are private.
"Joe Van Gogh apologizes to our employees, customers and community for how we handled a situation involving our Duke University store," Roberts wrote. "As you have read, it is true that Joe Van Gogh is a contractor to Duke. We attempted to understand Duke's position in this case, but we should have taken a different approach in making personnel decisions. As the owner of the business, I take full responsibility for Joe Van Gogh's actions. I apologize to all of the people directly involved and those who have been touched or offended, of which there are many."
The firings of two employees, Britni Brown and Kevin Simmons, was first reported by Indy Week.
Duke's vice president of student affairs, Larry Moneta, stopped by the shop Friday for tea and a muffin and complained about the song playing. It was "Get Paid" by Young Dolph, with a refrain that included the N-word, along with an expletive sprinkled throughout the song.
In a statement Tuesday to The News & Observer and The Chronicle at Duke, Moneta said it was Joe Van Gogh's decision to dismiss the employees. He said he expressed his objections to the staff and reported the incident to the head of Duke's dining services.
"The employees who chose to play the song in a business establishment on the Duke campus made a poor decision which was conveyed to the JVG management," Moneta wrote. "How they responded to the employees' behavior was solely at their discretion."
