Cinnabon fired an employee at a Wisconsin bakery after a video showing the worker harassing a Somali couple with racist and abusive slurs went viral.The incident took place when the couple had entered to buy food at the bakery. According to Newsweek, the worker mocked the woman’s hijab, which led the couple to start recording. In the footage, the employee is heard using the n-word slur, admitting to being racist and continuing with a series of degrading comments.Cinnabon issued a statement on Saturday confirming that the worker had been dismissed. “We have seen the disturbing video from the Cinnabon bakery in Ashwaubenon, WI, and we do not condone this behaviour. The former employee was immediately terminated by the franchise owner. Their actions do not reflect our values or the welcoming experience every guest deserves,” the company said on X. A spokesperson later told Newsweek, “We are aware of the deeply troubling video involving a former employee at the independently owned and operated Cinnabon bakery in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. The individual seen in the video was immediately terminated by the franchise owner. Their actions and statements are completely unacceptable and in no way reflect the values of Cinnabon, our franchisees, or the welcoming environment we expect for every guest and team member. We take this situation seriously and remain committed to ensuring all guests are treated with dignity, respect, and kindness every time they visit one of our bakeries.”The row erupted as US President Donald Trump and members of his administration are cracking down on Somali immigrants, accusing them of contributing to fraud and making inflammatory comments about the community. Trump recently described Somali immigrants as people who “contribute nothing” and called them “garbage”.Minnesota has one of the largest Somali populations in the United States, with roughly 84,000 people in the Minneapolis and St Paul area. Census data shows that nearly 58 per cent of Somalis in the state were born in the country and 87 per cent of foreign-born Somalis are naturalised citizens.Local leaders, including Minnesota’s governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, are very pro-Somali and have constantly pushed back against Trump’s policies.
