Cinnabon has fired an employee at its Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin location following a viral video showing the worker harassing a Somali couple with racist remarks and slurs.
The company released a statement on X on Saturday saying the employee was immediately terminated by the franchise owner and that their actions "do not reflect our values or the welcoming experience every guest deserves."
The incident occurred when a Somali couple entered the bakery to purchase food. According to reports, the employee began mocking the woman's hijab, prompting the couple to record the encounter. In the video, the worker is heard saying the n-word, admitted to being racist, and continued making derogatory comments.
Why It Matters
The incident comes amid heightened tensions surrounding Minnesota's Somali community following recent statements by President Donald Trump and administration officials.The harassment reflects broader concerns about discrimination against Somali Americans, particularly as federal authorities prepare targeted immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota focusing primarily on Somali immigrants.
Almost 58 percent of Somalis in Minnesota were born in the U.S., and 87 percent of foreign-born Somalis in the state are naturalized citizens, according to the Census Bureau. An estimated 260,000 people of Somali descent live in the U.S., with the largest population—approximately 84,000 residents—concentrated in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
What To Know
The video documenting the harassment has been viewed nearly 3 million times across multiple social media platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Reddit.The widespread circulation prompted Cinnabon to issue a public response Saturday addressing the incident directly: "We've seen the disturbing video from the Cinnabon bakery in Ashwaubenon, WI, and we do not condone this behavior. The former employee was immediately terminated by the franchise owner. Their actions do not reflect our values or the welcoming experience every guest deserves."
Trump has increasingly targeted the Somali community in recent weeks, saying they "have caused a lot of trouble" and "contribute nothing." On Wednesday, he called Somali immigrants "garbage" and claimed "they've destroyed our country" while discussing alleged fraud in Minnesota's social services systems.
The administration's criticism intensified after reports suggested taxpayer dollars from defrauded government programs may have flowed to al-Shabab, a militant group affiliated with al-Qaida. However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged his agency is still investigating these claims, and federal prosecutors have not charged any defendants in recent Minnesota fraud cases with providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations.
Local Somali community leaders, along with Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have pushed back against efforts to blame the broader community for isolated fraud cases, including the Feeding Our Future scandal—a $300 million COVID-19-related fraud case involving a program meant to feed children during the pandemic.
