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Muslim-American couple files civil rights complaint for incident at Tim Hortons in Ypsilanti

Posted at 3:19 PM, Jul 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-19 17:25:39-04

YPSILANTI, Mich. (WXYZ) — A civil rights complaint has been filed against a local Tim Hortons, after an employee allegedly refused to serve a couple because of their ethnicity.

The couple captured the incident on cell phone video. It happened last month at a Tim Hortons in Ypsilanti.

On Friday morning, the Muslim-American couple spoke out at a news conference with the Council on American Islamic Relations – or CAIR.

They say things went downhill at the restaurant when their coffee order was wrong and asked for a replacement or a refund.

The couple says they finally received a call last night from Tim Hortons apologizing for the incident.

A company representative offered them a gift card for a free cup of coffee for their troubles.

They were also told the employee in the video had been fired.

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights will now investigate whether Tim Hortons unlawfully denied service based on religion or national origin.