A TikTok video posted by user Imaan Up (@imaan.up) shows a confrontation at a Starbucks location. The video begins with a close-up of a computer monitor before panning to show two Starbucks employees behind the counter. On-screen text reads: “STARBUCKS THREATENED TO CALL 911 BECAUSE MY AUTISTIC SON WAS CRYING.”
The customer filming the interaction can be heard asking the employees why service was refused. “When I ask both of you serve me and I, I want to pay for them, but this guy, he’s told me he’s refused serving me. Can I have a reason? Your kid’s in here crying,” a voice in the video says. The customer then suggests the employee should have simply retrieved the item the child wanted. “He’s because he’s, because he’s want this lollipop. Common decency, you leave your kid out there, get the lollipop, bring it to your kid,” the voice states.
The customer directly challenges the employees on the store’s policy. “You have some policy when this ride that I cannot stay there if my son crying? You’re recording me? Yes. Show me, show me this policy,” the voice demands. The customer continues to press for a written rule, saying, “Show me this policy when you have this, that if kids cry, you will refuse serving us. You have a third-party policy. Show me this policy. Show me right now.”
The video’s caption details the customer’s account of the incident
The video’s public caption, attributed to the customer, provides additional context. The caption states that the incident began after a mistake was made on the customer’s order. “They made an error with my order, and we waited patiently while they corrected it,” the caption reads. “When my son became distressed, I tried to purchase a treat to calm him but the employee refused to complete the sale.”
The caption further alleges that the situation escalated when other customers tried to intervene. “Other customers tried to help, but the supervisor stopped serving everyone and said service would not resume until we left,” the caption states. The customer claims the employees threatened to call 911. “We were not aggressive or threatening. Autism is not a crime,” the caption concludes, adding the hashtags #AutismAwareness and #DisabilityRights.
In the video itself, the footage appears to show the employees speaking and gesturing in response to the customer, though their words are not fully audible over the ambient noise. Brief, blurry shots of the Starbucks interior, including menu boards and the counter area, are also visible. The final shots show the customer continuing to film as the interaction continues.
Viewers and commenters react to the video’s claims
The video has generated significant discussion in its comment section. One commenter, who claimed to be a former Starbucks employee, wrote, “When I work at Starbucks they do mention that we allowed to deny service for disruptive behavior.” Another person shared a detailed story, alleging a similar experience at a Starbucks. “The cashier even told us that my son was ‘annoying the customers,'” that commenter wrote. “Meanwhile, several customers offered to buy him a cake pop. The employees then announced, ‘We are currently having a problem and cannot serve anyone until this lady and her child leave.'” The allegation of service refusal leading to a standoff with management is a pattern seen in other business disputes, such as when a worker at a Texas dealership was allegedly refused payment after clearing tree stumps.
Other comments expressed support for the customer. “I hate how many adults hate children. They are kids. This one has autism like what’s wrong with yall ?” one person wrote. Another commenter, who identified as a current Starbucks employee, stated, “I work at Starbucks and would’ve RAN the cake pop to you hearing your kid cry, knowing you must be in a hard spot as a mother cause of it.” A different commenter focused on the employee’s suggestion, writing, “Did she really say leave your kid out there? She needs to get fired. She has no business working in customer service.”
The video’s caption ends with a call for awareness, stating, “I am not sharing this story for sympathy, nor am I using my son’s autism as an excuse. I am sharing it to raise awareness.” The creator did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. Starbucks has not publicly commented on the specific incident shown in the video.
