BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – The server who was fired from a West Michigan restaurant shortly after receiving a surprise, massive tip of $10,000 says it’s all connected.
Linsey Boyd said she was flabbergasted when she was given a $10,000 tip on a $32 bill earlier this month at Mason Jar Cafe in Benton Harbor. The customer who supplied the generous tip only requested that it be shared with everyone working at the restaurant.
When the restaurant announced the news on social media, officials said Boyd was sharing the tip with the staff. But the server was fired just a week later.
The restaurant also announced the news of the firing, saying it had nothing to do with the massive tip. But Boyd told Local 4 that her firing was directly related to the tip.
The server said she was fired over drama about how the tip was being divvied up among the staff. Boyd said some of her coworkers didn’t think it was fair, and told her bosses about the grumblings.
“I at least made them aware of the things that were being said,” Boyd said.
Boyd said she was fired shortly after. She posted on social media how upset she was over being fired -- and that’s when she said she started getting threats from her former employer.
“I was told legal action was being taken against me, and that if I wanted lawyers to be after me for the foreseeable future, I needed to take my post down,” Boyd said.
Boyd recorded those alleged threatening calls and instead got a lawyer of her own. So far, no litigation has been filed. Boyd said she’s now without a job for the first time since she was 15 years old.
Watch Mara McDonald’s full report on this below.