Wayside Central bouncer fired following social media complaints


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The logo for the Apple app Yik Yak

Several Central Michigan University students anonymously posted comments about their negative interactions with a Wayside Central bouncer on social media.

Within 48 hours that man, who is a CMU student, has been fired.

"After conducting multiple in-person and over-the-phone interviews, we were made aware of incidents of misconduct and have moved to terminate the employee," said John Hunter, owner of Wayside Central and The Cabin, in a press release. 

CMU students posted to Yik Yak, a local and anonymous social media app, and CMU Confessions, an anonymous Twitter account, to share their stories regarding the employee. 

On Sunday, a Change.org petition was created in hopes to get the bouncer fired. The petition has received more than 350 signatures.

The press release stated that Wayside Central's management team and owners learned of the situation late Sunday evening. By Monday afternoon, the employee was put on administrative leave. 

"Since we have been made aware of the issue, we have been making active efforts to identify and contact those impacted in order to gather more information," the press release said. 

The individual was described as a "temporary part-time employee." Hunter said the employee worked as a bouncer at Wayside Central and as a member of the kitchen staff at The Cabin when needed.

The press release stated that Wayside Central has addressed the issue with the Mount Pleasant Police Department and plans to continue to work with them. 

"We will not tolerate any type of harassment in our establishment," the press release said.  

Civil Rights & Title IX Investigator Eltaro Hooper confirmed the Office of Civil Rights and Institutional Equity (OCRIE) has received reports that reference the Yik Yak and CMU Confessions posts.

Anyone who has more information is encouraged to contact OCRIE at 989-774-3253 or ocrie@cmich.edu. Students can also visit the OCRIE office located in the Bovee University Center Room 306.

Hunter said he is implementing better guidelines for the future of his companies. He plans to utilize SAFE Bar Network which specializes in helping bars, restaurants and nightclubs to prevent sexual harassment and sexual assault. 

"Our number one goal is to keep our bars a safe location for our customers, and we understand the importance of educating our employees on aiding in those efforts," the press release said. "We will continue to prioritize what implementations can be put into place to keep our businesses as safe as possible."

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