EM
Edson Maitland
Oct 27, 2025
Dear Chipotle Corporate Customer Relations and Legal Department,
I am writing to formally report a deeply troubling incident of racial discrimination that my wife and I
experienced at your Huntington, New York location on Wednesday, October 22, 2025. What should
have been an ordinary lunch became an embarrassing and discriminatory experience that left us
feeling humiliated and singled out because of my race.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we ordered two bowls for lunch and requested two water cups,
which were provided to us by staff. After we sat down, we went to the fountain machine to fill our cups
with water.
However, when we attempted to do so, the entire soda machine—including the ice dispenser—had
suddenly been turned off.
Confused, we approached the counter and asked the employees what was going on. One of them,
William Ullola, stated that because we had “H2O cups,” the machine had been turned off and that we
could not use it for anything else. He said that if we wanted any soda at all—even just a sip—we would
have to pay for a full-sized drink. At that point, I agreed and purchased two medium drinks, as
confirmed by receipt number 10148, at 1:48 PM. Our original lunch order was receipt number 10143,
at 1:42 PM. We then filled our drinks, sat down, and began to eat.
A short while later, we observed multiple other customers—who were white—approach the same
counter, request the same H2O water cups, and proceed to the very same drink fountain. These
customers filled their cups with soda and ice freely, without interruption. The machine remained fully
operational for them, and none of the employees said anything to stop or correct them. This was in
stark contrast to how we had just been treated.
My wife, Sara, then confronted William about this and explained that what he had done was unfair. She
asked him directly why he had turned off the machine only for us. William responded that since he
happened to be available at the time and noticed us using the fountain, he decided to turn it off. He
further admitted that he doesn’t usually do that with other customers because he’s often busy and
doesn’t always have time to shut the machine down. His statement clearly demonstrates selective
enforc... Due to this clear admission of guilt, William then proceeded to offer us a free chips and
guacamole as a form of apology. We declined his offer because it did not address the discriminatory
behavior we experienced. By that point, the damage had already been done—we felt embarrassed and
unwelcome. We barely touched our food and ultimately threw out our bowls due to the unsatisfactory
and humiliating experience we had at this Chipotle location.
To make matters worse, my wife—who speaks fluent Spanish—overheard employees laughing and
making comments in Spanish about turning off the fountain on us. They found it amusing that we had
been forced to pay for our drinks, saying it was “funny” that we had to pay. This mocking and
discriminatory behavior was unprofessional, disrespectful, and humiliating.
My wife also asked William for the name of his manager, and he falsely claimed to be the manager. We
later discovered that was untrue, as the actual General Manager is Jose Garcia, who was not present
at the time.
The entire incident ruined what should have been a pleasant lunch. We felt embarrassed, disrespected,
and targeted based on race. This was not a simple misunderstanding—it was discriminatory and
unacceptable under both federal and state civil rights laws.
I am therefore requesting the following:
1. A formal investigation into this incident, including a review of any available video footage and
employee statements.
2. A written apology from Chipotle Corporate and from the management team of the Huntington
location.
3. Assurance that corrective and disciplinary action will be taken to prevent such discriminatory
behavior from recurring.
If this matter is not addressed promptly and appropriately, I am prepared to pursue legal action for
racial discrimination and emotional distress.