Milwaukee Frozen Custard Shop Owner Defends 'English-Only' Rule
Nearly one in eight citizens in Milwaukee are Latino or Hispanic, according to recent census data, but one frozen custard shop in the city, Leon's, doesn't seem to care about demographics or customer concerns. At Leon's, employees are only allowed to speak English, which has caused problems for customers attempting to order a frozen treat in Spanish or other languages.
The "English-only" rule has caused serious outcry and calls of boycotting. The League of United Latin American Citizens has called on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to launch a federal investigation into the unusual policy, according to The Washington Post.
What a bunch of IGNORANT DUMMIES. >> #BOYCOTTLEONS << Do you fools realize that ENGLISH and SPANISH are LANGUAGES and NOT RACE?
— Tribal Mind Fodder (@cavemanspam) May 19, 2016
@LeonsCustard thinks the US has an official language. #BoycottLeons
— SpookyRush (@spookyrush) May 19, 2016
A company whose product comes from a French word is demanding customers speak English. #BoycottLeons pic.twitter.com/FTClJiVX8g
— Mijente (@ConMijente) May 19, 2016
Leon's owner Ron Schneider has defended his policy and maintained that it is not rooted in prejudice or racism:
"Hey, c'mon! It is America," Schneider told Fox 6 Now. "We've spoken English for a long, long time."
He was concerned that his business would become slow or "disruptive" if it became "bilingual, trilingual, or something else."
If an employee was caught speaking a different language to a customer, they could expect a serious chat from the boss, but likely wouldn't get fired on a first offense.