University Police plan to charge employee

University Police are investigating an incident in which a Dining Services employee reportedly fought with several students Saturday night after getting into a verbal argument with a female freshman student.

No charges have been filed against the employee, but University Police spokesman Paul Dillon said the university did plan to do so. Dillon, who declined to identify the employee, did not know what he would be charged with, but speculated it would be assault-related.

Witnesses and participants in the dispute described the employee fighting and arguing with several students over a 15-minute period at about 6:45 p.m., close to when The Diner on North Campus was closing for the night. The employee, they said, was working at Al's Grill when the student placed an order. The student, when interviewed, declined to provide her name, but she and others said the two argued over her order.

Freshman criminology major Deonte Carter, a friend of the student, said the argument ended with the employee stepping on the grill counter and throwing a cup of juice in the girl's face. The girl then ran crying from the dining hall.

Carter said another student in line asked the employee what he was doing. The employee pushed the student out of the way, Carter added, and then turned toward everyone in line and balled up his fists.

"If anyone wants to see me, you can see me now," the employee said, according to Carter.

Kim Allende, a freshman kinesiology major and a roommate of the girl who originally got into the altercation with the employee, said she was in line to pay for her food and talking to a friend about the incident when the worker, who was trying to leave, overheard them. The worker, she said, then threatened to throw a cup of juice in her face, as well.

Allende said another student in line to pay intervened and told the worker to "relax" and "calm down." The employee and the student began to argue.

Ike Uzomah, a freshman biology major and a friend of Allende's, said the worker shoved the student into a condiment station, shattering its sneeze guard and causing the student to fall to the ground.

"The guy punched the kid in the face seven or eight times and then started kicking him," Uzomah said.

Freshman James McGoldrick, another friend of Allende's, said he jumped on the employee's back in an attempt to break up the fight, and freshman mechanical engineering major Jamal Rashad Davis said a cashier told the employee she had called 911.

The employee then left The Diner, and Dillon said the worker announced he was quitting after leaving the dining hall.

"He said he quit, went home and we have not seen him since," Dillon said.

Dining Services officials who were at The Diner during the incident declined to comment. However, Dining Services Spokesman Bart Hipple said the worker was a seasonal employee and quit prior to the end of his shift, before the alleged physical fighting occurred.

Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement, who oversees dining services, said department employees have complained of disrespectful students in the past, but emphasized that the employee's behavior was inexcusable.

"It's a service industry, so there are these kinds of complaints," Clement said. "Our dining services staff, however, is trained to respond to customers respectfully. Words in response to other words is always the best response."

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