Abstract:
"This pagan group was not kicked out of Krispy Kreme," said Mark Gauthier, president of a local Krispy Kreme franchise that includes the store on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. "We don't discriminate against any group. We just asked them to remove their witch models from our shops."
[Myles Weissleder] said Meetup is looking into the witches' claims. Nineteen people had signed up to go to the Meetup, but almost double that number showed up. The 37-person gathering is among the largest witches meetings in the country. Only Port Arthur, Texas, has had a larger gathering, 40. New York City, on the other hand, drew eight witches recently.
Meetup groups must vote on one of three locations for their meetings. The witches had voted for the Krispy Kreme during each of the past four months, but Krispy Kreme will not be one of the options next month, Weissleder said.
Full Text:
Copyright Times Publishing Co. Dec 5, 2002
It was the witches' fourth meeting in as many months at the Krispy Kreme in Clearwater. They lined up for coffee and doughnuts, then pulled eight tables together and sat around them.
Soon, 37 of them had gathered. One set out an 8-inch-high wicker witch on a broom.
Everyone agrees on the story up to that point. What happened next is disputed.
The witches say the Krispy Kreme manager asked them to remove the wicker witch and threw them out.
A Krispy Kreme spokesman says the manager asked the group to remove the wicker witch only after another customer complained.
"This pagan group was not kicked out of Krispy Kreme," said Mark Gauthier, president of a local Krispy Kreme franchise that includes the store on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. "We don't discriminate against any group. We just asked them to remove their witch models from our shops."
The witches had gathered because of a Web site called Meetup (
www.meetup.com), which encourages people with common interests to get out of chat rooms and into coffee shops for face-to-face meetings around the country. Meetup.com, founded in June, hopes to make money by collecting fees from the shops where the meetings take place. The site is trying to build interest in the concept and has not started collecting fees in this area.
Witches meetings have become one of the site's most popular events, particularly in Pinellas County. Members have many beliefs and religious practices. Some are leaders of covens and wear black robes during their rituals; some describe themselves as Pagans but not witches. One witch described their meetings as "a Pagan parent night out" where they don't have to watch what they say.
The witches at Krispy Kreme say they were talking about various things, including one member's efforts to raise money for a Pagan community center in Pinellas County.
Then a store manager came over.
Rick Poppe, 35, who calls himself an occultist, said the manager asked to speak to whomever was in charge. Then she waved dismissively at the wicker witch and said, "That has to go."
Robert L. Webb II, who had signed up as a host of the event, walked outside with the manager. He said she asked him what kind of group it was. He told her it was a gathering sponsored by Meetup.com out of New York and that her corporate office had been notified of the meeting.
The manager told him meetings were not allowed at Krispy Kreme and asked him to end the gathering, Webb said. When he asked her why, Webb said, she told him it was because she had had a complaint from a customer about the wicker witch.
Webb, who says he is a witch, said he walked inside and told the group it had been asked to leave. From there, the group headed over to a Perkins restaurant nearby.
"I feel personally it was because we were Pagan," Webb said. "I feel it was because a lot of us are different, unusual."
Webb said he is considering filing a religious discrimination complaint with the Department of Justice. Poppe said he wants an apology from Krispy Kreme or he will file a complaint.
"I'm not a crusader," said Poppe, who works at a natural food store as a deli clerk. "I'm not one of those people who looks for a cause to fight for. But I was so offended. So many nice, hard- working people were thrown out just because they have different views."
One witch from Clearwater said she would prefer to let the tempest drop. Refering to the incident as the "Krispy Kreme Kaper," she sent an e-mail to many of the witches who were there, saying she thought the group should just move on.
"Sometimes everybody yells discrimination, and it's a war," said Norma Supel, a computer store administrator, who wrote the e-mail. "Okay, if the lady doesn't want you there, you can't tell her 'Witches are okay people' and change her mind. If she has a set attitude, a set opinion toward us, it's her opinion, her right. It's up to Meetup to ensure that it's okay for us to be there."
Myles Weissleder, a spokesman for Meetup, said Krispy Kreme was notified the group would be there.
"As far as I know, it wasn't a problem," he said. "I don't know if that particular manager was aware or if there was a miscommunication."
Gauthier, of Krispy Kreme, said the group was not kicked out and that the Pagans are not telling the truth.
"We want every group in America to eat in our stores," he said. "No one was kicked out of our stores. We don't discriminate. I don't understand what the controversy is about."
Weissleder said Meetup is looking into the witches' claims. Nineteen people had signed up to go to the Meetup, but almost double that number showed up. The 37-person gathering is among the largest witches meetings in the country. Only Port Arthur, Texas, has had a larger gathering, 40. New York City, on the other hand, drew eight witches recently.
Meetup groups must vote on one of three locations for their meetings. The witches had voted for the Krispy Kreme during each of the past four months, but Krispy Kreme will not be one of the options next month, Weissleder said.
"I can't infer what transpired, but I think the manager just got restless when (she) saw 37 people with a witch mascot on the table, and that's a shame," Weissleder said. "If it had been the Girl Scouts or a baseball team, I don't think they would have been kicked out."
Ferret Were you part of this???...
