Calls on AAG Dhillon to Investigate Incident at TN Wendys

National Autism Advocate Calls on AAG Dhillon to Investigate Metro Nashville Wendy’s Franchisee Following Incident Involving Neurodivergent Worker Bound to Kitchen Equipment

OCONOMOWOC, WISC. – Former Wendy’s Manager Michiko Burton who worked at a franchised restaurant in Murfreesboro, Tennessee was arrested by local authorities in Tennessee, WSMV-TV 4 in Nashville reported that Burton tied the neurodivergent employee with garbage bags to a grill assembly in the kitchen. Americans for Autism Advocacy issues the following statement: Americans for Autism Advocacy issues the following statement:

“Every neurodivergent individual who is employed deserves to be treated with dignity and respect by their colleagues. The recent incident at a Wendy’s in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was both alarming and disgraceful. Restraining a neurodivergent team member’s legs to a kitchen grill, as Ms. Burton did, violates basic standards of human decency. While the Wendy’s franchisee took appropriate action by promptly firing Ms. Burton, a thorough civil rights inquiry remains essential to deter future occurrences. We urge Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice to launch a full investigation. A federal civil rights probe must serve as a clear warning to prevent employers from permitting such misconduct in any workplace.”