Blacks were denied service, lawsuit alleges

A manager at a Dekalb County fast food restaurant is accused of refusing service to a Black man and his three children.

Adrian Alexander filed a lawsuit in Dekalb State Court this week claiming the manager berated him and his children with racial slurs. The incident took place July 18 at the Burger King at 3928 Flat Shoals Parkway.

The unnamed manager and the Burger King Corporation are among the defendants in the lawsuit. The company did not answer The Atlanta Journal-constitution’s request for comment. The Flat Shoals Parkway restaurant also did not answer multiple phone calls.

Alexander and the kids tried to order a to-go lunch from inside the store, according to the legal complaint. The manager said they would have to use the drive-thru.

Alexander said he saw white customers eating inside the restaurant, adding that some of them were served to-go orders, the complaint said.

“When Mr. Alexander questioned her refusal to serve him at the counter, not only was he provided no satisfactory answer, but he was berated with racial slurs ... along with other profanity,” the complaint said.

He later spoke to several other Burger King managers, who offered him free food, according to the complaint. However, Alexander said the manager who allegedly berated his family was still employed and working at the Flat Shoals Parkway restaurant, prompting the lawsuit.

An 81-year-old wooden bridge

CSX railroad tracks in Tyrone needs replacing, and the state wants citizen input about the project. Initial plans to replace the single-lane bridge on Coastline Road began in 2018 and have been in development since. The Georgia Department of Transportation has proposed installing a “more modern and structurally secure” two-lane bridge that will cost just more than $1.94 million.

Although the bridge technically is not on town property, input from Tyrone citizens is being solicited because of the impact on local traffic. The proposed detour during construction would be 1.8 miles and follow Lees Lake Road, Milam Road, Buckhorn Trail, Revenna

Trail and Ellens Ridge. After public feedback is received, GDOT will either revise the plan or proceed with acquiring right-of-way and beginning the final design.

The link for information, diagrams and submitting comments is at cr-61-bridge-replacement-detour-0015647-gdot.hub.arcgis.com and on Tyrone’s Facebook page.