Sometimes, the punishment really does fit the crime.
An Ohio woman who was convicted of assault after she threw food at a Chipotle employee has been sentenced to work a fast-food job for two months.
The unconventional sentence was offered to Rosemary Hayne, 39, by Judge Timothy Gilligan as a means of reducing her jail sentence.
On Sept. 5, Hayne was filmed by a patron inside a Chipotle in Parma, Ohio, as she argued with a young store manager during the restaurant’s dinner rush-hour. The video, which has since gone viral, was uploaded to Reddit under the tag “Public Freakout.”
Then-Chipotle store manager Emily Russell, 26, told the New York Times she made, and then remade, Hayne’s burrito bowl order despite the restaurant being short-staffed.
Hayne was still unsatisfied with her order and started a heated argument with Russell. In the video, Russell appears to try and diffuse the situation, and hands Hayne the establishment’s business card.
In front of a line of customers, Hayne continues to shout at Russell.
Again, Russell attempts to end the altercation and tells Hayne to “have a good day.” In retaliation, Hayne launches her burrito bowl into Russell’s face.
Customers inside the Chipotle were audibly shocked. One woman follows Hayne to the door and tries to restrain her while asking, “Why did you do that?”
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Eventually, Hayne frees herself from the woman’s hold and exits the Chipotle. A patron inside the restaurant then calls police.
When she appeared in court last week, Hayne was originally set to pay a fine and serve 180 days in jail, with 90 days suspended. Instead, the judge said Hayne could cut 60 days from her jail sentence if she served her just desserts at a temporary fast-food job.
Hayne agreed to work 20 hours a week in a fast-food restaurant for 60 days. She must complete the work before reporting to jail in March.
Hayne’s lawyer told the New York Times the woman has attended job interviews, though it is unclear if she’s donned a fast-food uniform just yet.
“You didn’t get your burrito bowl the way you like it, and this is how you respond?” Judge Gilligan said during sentencing, according to Fox News 8. “This is not Real Housewives of Parma. This behaviour is not acceptable.”
Judge Gilligan said Hayne went into the Chipotle looking for a fight, which she denied.
During the court proceedings, Russell said her face had been burned by the hot burrito bowl.
She said the incident left her traumatized and forced her to quit her job at Chipotle, in part because she felt unsupported by the company afterward. She now works at the American chicken chain Raising Cane’s.
Russell said she feels Hayne’s sentence is fair.
A representative for Chipotle told Today they are satisfied with the trial’s outcome.
“The health and safety of our employees is our greatest priority, and we’re pleased to see justice served for any individual that does not treat our team members with the respect they deserve,” the rep said.
In court, Hayne apologized but said she became aggressive because the food she ordered looked “disgusting.”
Judge Gilligan’s reply was simple: “I bet you won’t be happy with the food you are going to get in the jail.”
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