Whole Foods Market is suing an openly
gay pastor over claims that he purchased a cake from its flagship
Austin store that included an anti-gay slur.
Jordan Brown announced on Monday that
he was suing the retailer over the incident. Brown showed the cake
in a
YouTube video where he claims that he ordered a cake with the
phrase “Love Wins” but received a cake that says “Love Wins
F*g.” The cake can be seen through the clear portion of the box.
He said that he did not notice the change until he had left the
store.
“As you see, I have not opened up
this box yet, it is still sealed,” he told viewers, pointing to a
UPC sticker that runs on the side and bottom of the box. “This is
discrimination.”
Whole Foods immediately denied the
claims, saying that its team members “do not accept or design
bakery orders that include language or images that are offensive.”
On Tuesday, the Austin-based food giant
released video footage that it claims proves Brown's story is a hoax.
In the video, a cashier can be seen
scanning the box from the top of the box, not the side.
In its lawsuit, Whole Foods says that
Brown “intentionally, knowingly and falsely accused Whole Foods and
its employees of writing the homophobic slur … on a custom made
cake that he ordered from WFM's Lamar Store in Austin.” Whole
Foods is seeking at least $100,000 in damages from Brown, the
American-Statesman
reported.