A Texas waiter is being praised online after he took a stand against customers he said were discriminating against a child with Down Syndrome.
The Houston Chronicle’s 29-95 food blog reported Kim Castillo and her five-year-old son, Milo, were dining at Laurenzo’s in Houston when the group seated next to them asked to be moved.
Castillo wrote, “They told the waiter, ‘special needs kids should be kept in special places.’ The waiter promptly told them he was offended by their comment and refused to serve them.”
Milo has Down Syndrome. Kim said he’s accustomed to going to restaurants, and the waiters at Laurenzo’s were dropping by their table to say “hello” to Milo and talk with him.
“Was he loud? Maybe a little in the moment, but honestly, the adults at our table were 3x louder than he was,” Kim said.
After fielding the complaint from the other group, waiter Michael Garcia refused to serve them.
“I had considered whether or not I would lose my job, but I knew it wasn’t right,” said Garcia.
The restaurant and Garcia have been receiving praise on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Kim Castillo appreciates the staff there as well, saying, “Yay for people like Michael, Candace and Eric at Laurenzo’s (also waiters who everyone should go tip heavily) who not only love (my son) Milo for who he is — a customer and little boy with Down syndrome, but stand up for him no matter what.”
