Texas Pastor Claims Whole Food's Cake Had Homophobic Slur
AUSTIN, TX (CBS) – Whole Foods is suing a Texas pastor, who claimed a cake he bought from the grocery retailer had a homophobic slur on it, according to CBS News.
The attorneys for Pastor Jordan Brown said he ordered a cake from a Whole Foods store with the personalized message "Love Wins," but when he received it, the cake said "Love Wins F**."
In a You Tube video Brown showed off the cake that he claims to have purchased with the slur. He said didn't realize what it said until he got into his vehicle. In the video, he shows the box containing the cake, apparently still sealed, with the message written on it.
Brown's attorneys told CBS affiliate KEYE, that after reaching out to the Whole Foods corporate office and receiving no substantive response for more than three days, they filed a lawsuit.
Brown's attorney previously released a statement in regards to the alleged incident, in which he said his client continues to be overwhelmed by the feelings of pain, anguish and humiliation because of this incident.
"He frequently shopped at Whole Foods, which makes this all the more shocking and disappointing," said Austin Kaplan, Brown's attorney. "What really concerns him is knowing that unless some action is taken, this kind of thing could happen again, and that someone else might have to go through a similarly excruciating experience."
The claim has Whole Foods fighting back.
The company claims the pastor's accusations are forged. The supermarket giant said in a statement,
"Our bakery team member wrote 'Love Wins' at the top of the cake, which was visible to Mr. Brown through the clear portion of the packaging. That's exactly how the cake was packaged and sold at the store. Whole Foods Market has a strict policy that prohibits team members from accepting or designing bakery orders that include language or images that are offensive."
According to CBS News, the company also released surveillance footage of Brown leaving the store with the cake. To further support their claims the company pointed out that the label was different in the footage compared to when Brown presented it.
Whole Foods added that they stand behind their bakery team member, who is a member of the LGBTQ community.
"And we appreciate the team members and shoppers who recognize that this claim is completely false and directly contradicts Whole Foods Market's inclusive culture, which celebrates diversity," the statement said.