YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Council on American Islamic Relations of Michigan filed a complaint Friday on behalf of a Muslim woman alleging dicrimination against Tim Hortons in Ypsilanti at 760 South Hewitt Road.
Alaa Kouider, a practicing Muslim woman who wears the traditional Islamic head covering is named as the complainant.
CAIR-MI filed the complaint for discrimination based on religion and country of origin on Kouider's behalf.
On June 28 around 3 p.m. Kouider was with her sister, husband and his parents at the Tim Hortons.
According to the complaint, the family went through the drive-through and ordered beverages. They were asked to drive to the window without being given a total for the order.
The cashier did not give the family a receipt and forgot one of their drinks, according to the complaint.
The family stayed waiting for the second drink. That is when the clerk asked why the family was waiting. The family told the clerk they were waiting for the coffee with one cream.
Then the clerk became hostile, according to the complaint, and insisted the couple only ordered one drink.
The clerk said she would need the credit card again. The family paid for the drink twice and didn't receive a receipt for the second time.
The coffee had more cream than Kouider's husband wanted and he asked if she could remake it again. The family was told the drink could not be fixed and that if there was a problem, they would have to come inside the restaurant.
They went inside the restaurant but were refused service or provided a refund. Kouider and her husband started arguing with the Tim Hortons employee.
The Tim Hortons employee can be seen and heard on video calling Kouider a "b...." and telling her to go back to her own country.
Watch the video above for more details on the verbal exchange.