Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Gay Man Speaks Out After Shake Shack Workers Allegedly Assault Him For Kissing His Boyfriend

YouTube screenshot of the attack; Christian Dingus
NBC

D.C. resident Christian Dingus was at a Shake Shack in Dupont Circle when an employee allegedly berated him for kissing his boyfriend inside the restaurant before attacking him along with a group of other workers.

A gay man in Washington, D.C., is speaking out after Dupont Circle Shake Shack employees allegedly assaulted him for kissing his boyfriend in the restaurant.

D.C. resident Christian Dingus, 28, said he was at the restaurant on Saturday night waiting for his food when the incident transpired.


He told NBC News:

“While we were back there [in the restaurant] — kind of briefly — we began to kiss."
“And at that point, a worker came out to us and said that, you know, you can’t be doing that here, can’t do that type of stuff here.”

The two then separated, but Dingus said his boyfriend was troubled by the comment and went to speak to the employee.

Dingus' partner was then escorted out of the restaurant, where an argument took place. Dingus verbally interjected when an employee began speaking disrespectfully to his partner.

And that's when things became physical, according to Dingus.

“And then one of the men, pretty forcefully, like, pushed me out of the way on my shoulder."
“And then, you know, next thing I know, that kind of just, I think, sparked the rest of them…. They all just kind of started attacking me at that point, dragging me back, threw me on the floor and continuously punching me in my head.”

A patron inside the Shake Shack recorded the incident and gave the recording to Dingus.

The video shows employees beating Dingus as he fell to the ground and continuing to assault him while he was curled up on the sidewalk.

An ambulance arrived on the scene, but Dingus refused it at the time. He later, however, went to the emergency room for intense jaw pain.

He was diagnosed with a concussion and trauma to his jaw.

Dingus told NBC News:

“There was a desire to be violent towards me, and I think it’s very evident in that film."

A spokesperson for Shake Shack said all employees involved were suspended pending further review.

You can watch below.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

People on social media learning of Dingus' story were absolutely appalled.





NBC News/YouTube

NBC News/YouTube

NBC News/YouTube

NBC News/YouTube

And they don't believe "suspension" is punishment enough.



NBC News/YouTube

NBC News/YouTube

NBC News/YouTube

The attack is being investigated as a hate crime. According to a copy of the police report filed with the Metropolitan Police Department (per NBC News), police have classified the alleged offense as a simple assault with an anti-gay bias motivation.

The spokesperson for Shake Shack said in a statement on Sunday:

“We are aware of the incident on Saturday, Aug. 17 involving team members and a guest at our Dupont Circle location and are taking it very seriously."
“At Shake Shack, the safety and well-being of our guests and team members are our top priority, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for any form of violence.”

They added that the establishment is "committed to taking the appropriate actions."

Dingus also wants appropriate action to be taken, but he wants to feel safe in his own community, as well.

“You hear all the time that this stuff happens, but, you know, I started kind of believing that it didn’t, right?”
“I’ve been ... thinking of progress and how great that community is here, and then for that all to kind of be shattered, you know, kind of sucks.”

More from News/lgbtq

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less