“I Just Felt Like I Was Left Alone” McDonald’s Employee Says Her Co-Workers Could Have Done More

January 4, 2019 7:20 pm

Earlier this week, Yasmine James, the Black woman who was working at McDonald’s when she was assaulted by Daniel Taylor, a White customer, who pulled her so forcefully by the collar, that her body came across the counter. What was particularly troubling about the video, is that while the restaurant seemed to be full of men who also worked there, none of them came to her defense.

One man tried to pull her off of him when she was just defending herself. He did grab Taylor’s shirt at one point to subdue him. But many people didn’t think it was enough, including James herself.

In an interview with theGrio, the 20-year-old said, “I feel like they could have done more. But then I understand because to them I am just their regular co-worker. It’s not like I’m their family or anything. I know they were probably thinking of their jobs. I know one boy, he’s in college and I know he doesn’t want to mess that up. I understand where he’s coming from.”

She also spoke about her manager’s response to the altercation.

“I don’t want to blame everything on my manager, but I wish that he was trained more; like [McDonald’s] should have had better procedures.”

She also said that being a Black woman contributed to the treatment she received after the incident went viral.

““I don’t think people took it so seriously,” says James. “Just because I am a Black woman and he was a white man that assaulted me. Like, ‘Okay, she fought this man, lets go back to work. Don’t call the police because this is normal.’ It was just going to go under the rug,” explained James.

“I didn’t like that feeling. To me it’s like if I didn’t call the police, if I didn’t do anything, who would have? I just felt like I was left alone, on my own.”

James, who started working at McDonald’s just three months ago is on paid leave. She graduated high school in 2017 and is preparing to go to college. She has plans to become a nurse or social worker.