Armless boy barred from using feet to eat

IHOP manager cited health concerns

A Hot Springs woman says the manager of an IHOP restaurant would not permit her 3-year-old son, born without arms, to sit on a table and eat with his feet while they were dining with friends last month.

Alexis Bancroft, whose son William learned the eating technique as an infant in therapy, said the manager told her that the child could not touch the syrup dispensers because of Health Department concerns — despite the fact that she had washed his feet in the restroom before taking a seat.

“Do you ask all of your customers if they washed their hands before they touch [the syrup containers]?” Bancroft said she asked.

After the way they were treated, the diners decided to leave the restaurant without paying for their drinks.

“I totally understand, but it doesn’t become a Health Department issue until we leave and they don’t clean the syrup bottles,” she said. “We have eaten out multiple times in Arkansas and Iowa, where I’m from, and I have never had that happen before.”

A veteran dining with two women left the restaurant in a show of solidarity, Bancroft said, and she saw a baseball team pass the syrup bottle around the table after everyone said they had not washed their hands.

Bancroft shared her experience in a public Facebook post that went viral before later being set to private. The mother of three said she was inundated with mostly positive comments and messages from shocked IHOP employees, who apologized for the manager’s behavior.

She added that the manager also sent a private message to Bancroft saying she meant no offense.

The next day, Bancroft said, the franchise owner called to apologize and promised more training for employees who work with customers with disabilities. Bancroft said she also called IHOP’s corporate office to file a complaint, but one had already been recorded on her behalf.

A call seeking comment from IHOP’s corporate office was not returned.

The situation left William insecure about the way he eats, his mother said.

“The next day, he wanted to sit on a chair,” Bancroft said. “Now he’s back on the table eating, but the negativity is not something we want for our family. We shared our experience so he could see all the people in his corner and that it’s OK to be different.”