Restaurant's 'Joke Gone Awry': Wear Peterson Jersey, You Can Spank Servers
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Mankato restaurant got considerable flak over the weekend after telling customers on Facebook that if they came in wearing an Adrian Peterson jersey they could spank their server.
Weggy's On Campus posted the note on Sunday, when the Vikings faced off against the New England Patriots, KEYC-TV reported.
The restaurant's post made light of an on-going controversy involving allegations of child abuse against the Vikings' star running back, who admitted to authorities that he spanked his 4-year-old son with a switch. Peterson was deactivated for Sunday's game, in which the Vikings lost 30-7.
Steve Wegman, the owner of Weggy's, told KEYC the post was "a bad joke gone awry." The restaurant caters to college students near the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus.
After the post went up, it was quickly removed.
Still, it caused outrage.
"Child abuse is never funny," wrote Misti Wilmes on Weggy's Facebook page. She also posted the image below.
Another commenter on the restaurant's Facebook page said the post was not acceptable.
"Way to perpetuate violence and sexual harassment," Chelsea Kocina wrote, adding: "Never will I step foot in there and never will I encourage others to do so regardless of their gender. Shame on you. Absolutely disgusting."
On the same day the post went up, Weggy's issued an apology, saying an employee "simply thought they were being funny."
Wegman told KEYC that Weggy's has since changed its social media policy.
He also said that the employee who wrote the post will not face immediate consequences.
