Parents of special education students in Maryland were outraged after their children were denied service by a Cracker Barrel restaurant during a school outing. This incident occurred during a community-based instruction program for students with autism and significant cognitive disabilities at Dr. James Craik Elementary School in the Charles County Public Schools District. Despite the school staff informing the restaurant of their visit, the Cracker Barrel refused to serve the group, leading to the students being left waiting for their to-go order for an hour and ultimately having to eat lunch back at the school.
The superintendent of the school district, Maria Navarro, issued a statement apologizing for the incident, while Cracker Barrel also issued an apology for the misunderstanding. However, parents were still upset and one parent, Dustin Reed, organized a protest at the restaurant to raise awareness about the mistreatment of special education students.
The protest, titled #CanWeEatNow, is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 15, and has gained the support of 45 people. Reed hopes the protest will highlight the fact that children with different abilities should not be treated as less than others. He expressed his feelings of anger and sadness at the situation, emphasizing the need to stand up for his daughter and ensure that she never has to experience such discrimination again.
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