Northbrook Caribou under fire after removing gay rights display
Mon. September 30, 2013 9:37 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
the caribou window before the decoration was washed off.
photo credit // debby shulman/northbrook patch
Northbrook, IL -
A Caribou Coffee location in Northbrook is under fire after employees washed off the windows that had been painted to promote the Glenbrook North chapter of the Gay/Straight Alliance.
Windows of local businesses in the north Chicago suburb are decorated by students each year as part of homecoming activities. This year, GBN's Gay/Straight Alliance was assigned the Caribou Coffee location in downtown Northbrook.
The windows are typically washed after weekend activities, but Caribou Coffee removed the gay rights display early.
"They're the only window in town that decided to wash their window," Debby Shulman, a Northbrook mom and member of Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, told Northbrook Patch.
Shulman, who previously tutored students at the shop, is now encouraging family and friends to no longer patronize Caribou Coffee.
In a post on Facebook, Melissa Miller Morreale urged residents to boycott the coffee chain.
"Please do not purchase Caribou Coffee or visit their establishments. This is outrageous," she wrote.
Caribou's corporate office in Minneapolis, Minn, issued the following statement:
"It is a corporate-wide key pillar that we are accepting of all individuals regardless of age, gender, race or sexual orientation. It's our hope that all of our guests feel welcome in our coffeehouses.
"Unfortunately, the actions undertaken by the Northbrook store team were not in alignment with our executional standards and policies; however, we take full responsibility of these actions.
"We completely understand your concerns and we are taking an immediate review of our policies and practices at the store level to ensure every customer has a welcoming and positive experience in our stores."
Windows of local businesses in the north Chicago suburb are decorated by students each year as part of homecoming activities. This year, GBN's Gay/Straight Alliance was assigned the Caribou Coffee location in downtown Northbrook.
The windows are typically washed after weekend activities, but Caribou Coffee removed the gay rights display early.
"They're the only window in town that decided to wash their window," Debby Shulman, a Northbrook mom and member of Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, told Northbrook Patch.
Shulman, who previously tutored students at the shop, is now encouraging family and friends to no longer patronize Caribou Coffee.
In a post on Facebook, Melissa Miller Morreale urged residents to boycott the coffee chain.
"Please do not purchase Caribou Coffee or visit their establishments. This is outrageous," she wrote.
Caribou's corporate office in Minneapolis, Minn, issued the following statement:
"It is a corporate-wide key pillar that we are accepting of all individuals regardless of age, gender, race or sexual orientation. It's our hope that all of our guests feel welcome in our coffeehouses.
"Unfortunately, the actions undertaken by the Northbrook store team were not in alignment with our executional standards and policies; however, we take full responsibility of these actions.
"We completely understand your concerns and we are taking an immediate review of our policies and practices at the store level to ensure every customer has a welcoming and positive experience in our stores."