She Shouldn't Have Thrown That Burrito

Most of us learn at a very young age that our actions have consequences. Unfortunately, a Chipotle^® manager in Ohio recently met someone who clearly didn’t get the “do unto others” memo when an irate customer threw a chicken burrito bowl in her face. Now, a local judge has handed down a unique judgement.

Burrito Bowl With a Side of Assault

Thanks to the invention of the internet and social media, we have a front row seat to the bad behavior of humans across the globe. Rosemary Hayne, age 39, was originally sentenced by Parma Municipal Court Judge Timothy P. Gilligan to 180 days in jail for the assault of a Chipotle manager, which went viral online.

In court, Hayne told Judge Gilligan that she had thrown the bowl at 17-year-old employee, Emily Russell, because “If I showed you how my food looked and how my food looked a week later from that same restaurant, it’s disgusting looking,” according to NBC News. Never one to be late on the jump, the Judge replied, “I bet you won’t be happy with the food you are going to get in the jail.”

Walk in Her Shoes, or Get More Jail Time

Hayne, 39, pled guilty to misdemeanor assault in Parma, Ohio Municipal Court in November 2023. The Judge, Timothy Gilligan, suspended 90 days from Hayne’s original sentence and upheld the remaining 90-day sentence with an interesting caveat: Hayne could spend just 30 days in jail, and then work off those remaining 2 months in fast-food, for 20 hours a week.

“Do you want to walk in her shoes for two months and learn how people should treat people, or do you want to do your jail time?” Gilligan posed to Hayne during the hearing, as reported by NBC News.

Hayne took the deal of less jail time paired with mandatory work in fast-food for two months.

While this sentence seems unusual, the Judge thought of it as a great way to teach Hayne empathy for food service workers, while also saving the taxpayers from feeding and housing her for a full three months in jail.

The Aftermath

After the incident, not only did Chipotle manager Emily Russell have physical trauma from the hot food thrown on her, but she also had mental trauma from the experience. This led her to quit her job at the fast-food chain and seek support through therapy.

As for Hayne, she was given the opportunity to walk a mile in the shoes of underpaid food service workers, hopefully teaching her a valuable lesson in treating others how you want to be treated, and serving as a reminder that your actions always have consequences.

References: Ohio woman who threw Chipotle burrito bowl at employee sentenced to work in fast food for 2 months | Woman who threw bowl of food at Chipotle worker sentenced to work 2 months in fast food job