A Massachusetts farm is apologizing to a Black couple after employees accused them of stealing apples.
Manikka Bowman and Jeff Myers detailed the incident, which occurred over Labor Day weekend, in a blog post.
The couple and their two children went to Connors Farm in Danvers, Massachusetts, as the last hurrah before the summer ends. After spending over $100 on admission, fruit, food, and drinks, the joyous day took a turn as the family was leaving the apple orchard area.
The family was stopped by a security guard after six apples overflowed from the designated apple bag into the bottom of a stroller. After another guard showed up, the family was escorted to another building where Ms Bowman’s purse was checked.
After a third employee joined the situation and some back and forth conversation, the employees called the police, which created a disturbance within the store. “By jumping straight to an assumption of theft, Connors Farm created a scene, harassing us and causing our 7-year-old to burst into tears, anguish that lasted well into the evening,” Ms Bowman said in a post.
Ms Bowman said despite trying to explain the situation to the police officer, he took sides with the farm’s employees and accused the family of "playing the race card”.
The family asked for an apology after the “horrible incident.”
On Thursday, Connors Farm took to Facebook to issue an apology. “We regret the incident that happened this past weekend. We have extended our personal apology to the family,” the post said.
The Connors Farm staff will undergo diversity, equity, and inclusion training.
