Being falsely accused of stealing can be extremely offensive, and when you add being Black to the mix it can turn things into an even bigger problem that easily becomes a race issue.
One Massachusetts couple recently fell victim to their own false claims of theft, and the robbery at hand was over something as small as fruit.
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Connors Farm, a tourist attraction in Danvers, accused Manikka Bowman and Jeff Myers of stealing 6 apples during a Labor Day visit. The couple had apparently spent more than $100 on a combination of admission, apple-picking, food and drinks before farm staff approached them about the aforementioned apples that didn’t fit into their prepaid apple-picking bag.
Here’s a breakdown of how the events of that day transpired, via AP News:
“They said that the overflow fruits were in their child’s stroller and that they intended to pay for them at the farm store, where they also planned to buy cider donuts.
Bowman, who is a vice chair of the city’s school committee, said that a security guard instead searched her purse, and that the manager called police when the couple demanded the farm owner’s contact information.
The responding officer, the couple added, accused them of ‘playing the race card.'”
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Bowman and Jeff Myers released a joint statement that fully detailed the wrongdoing, adding a list of demands that include a written apology from Connors Farm owners, the money spent at Connors Farm refunded as a donation to the Essex County Community Foundation’s racial equity work, and a commitment from the Connors Farm ownership and the Danvers Police Department that their staff will undergo diversity, equity, and inclusion training.
The farm responded in a Facebook post of their own, which reads, “We regret the incident that happened this past weekend. We have extended our personal apology to the family. We do our best to train our employees to handle all customer issues with courtesy and respect at all times. We are taking further steps to ensure that staff will undergo diversity, equity and inclusion training. Please know that everybody is welcome on our farm.”
Was the apple farm in the wrong or just being cautious? Should the falsely-accused couple get more than the apology they requested? Let us know your thoughts!
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