A viral face mask dispute at a San Diego Starbucks has taken a new turn.
In June, a barista named Lenin refused to serve a customer named Amber because she was not wearing a mask. Amber posted about it on Facebook on June 22, writing that next time she would wait for police and bring a medical exemption. The post has since been removed. Local reports say Lenin was following a San Diego public health order that required face coverings inside businesses.
The post spread quickly, and a stranger, Matt Cowan, started a GoFundMe for Lenin with a $1,000 goal. According to Fox affiliate reports, it has now brought in more than $100,000.
As of July 16, Amber told KGTV she believes she is owed half of that money. She said she has health conditions that keep her from wearing a mask, and that she felt discriminated against. “I feel like I need the apology,” she said. She reportedly showed a note from a chiropractor who was not named, and the claims were not independently verified in the reports. She also said she plans to start her own GoFundMe to cover legal fees and may hire a lawyer to pursue a share of the donations.
Lenin responded with a video on the fundraiser page. He said he plans to study kinesiology at Cal State Fullerton and to donate some of the money to charity. The reports reviewed did not include a response from Starbucks or from GoFundMe about Amber’s demand.
Someone who identified themselves as a relative of Amber also started a separate fundraiser for legal fees to challenge her, but those claims were not verified.
We will keep you posted if anything changes.
Made to order and shipped to your door.
