Earlier this month, 10 Black incoming freshman to Washington University St. Louis, Missouri rode the MetroLink to a local Clayton, MO Ihop. While walking back to the MetroLink stop, the young men were stopped and questioned by local police because the Ihop had reported a dine-and-dash incident – the students were carrying to-go bags from the restaurant. 3 of the young men presented credit card receipts to the officers to prove that they had paid for their food, but this was not enough to change the minds of the officers that had already decided that they were guilty. The officers then made the young men walk back the restaurant, following them in 6 (unnecessary) squad cars, to discuss their innocence with Ihop management. Of course, upon their arrival, the restaurant informed the officers that they had stopped the wrong group of black men.
The officers did not apologize to the students for mistakenly accusing them, or scarring them with this unforgettable occurrence in a town they had just moved to, they just simply dismissed them and thanked them for their time.
The University demanded that the City of Clayton issue and apology as soon as they learned of this incident. University Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Jill Friedman
We are deeply concerned and disappointed that anyone — certainly any of our students — would experience what transpired…The fact that these 10 students, all of whom are African-American, were scared and humiliated is unacceptable to us. We have shared that sentiment directly with the City of Clayton and have had an opportunity to meet with city leaders to reiterate our concerns. Conversations continue, and we are hopeful that our students will hear directly from the City of Clayton with both an explanation and an apology.
School officials also noted that the timeline given by local police contained multiple errors and was not being handled with care.
Clayton City Manager Craig Owens has finally released an apology to the students and the university, weeks after the incident on July 7. An excerpt from his apology:
In hindsight, it is clear to us that we mishandled the interaction with these 10 Washington University students and lacked sensitivity about their everyday reality because of how racial bias affects their lives. For that, on behalf of the City of Clayton, we sincerely apologize.”
Hit the flip to read the full official statements of all parties involved.