Family denies leaving gay server hateful note
A family accused by a gay server of denying her a tip and leaving a hateful note on the receipt says the allegations are false.
Dayna Morales, a former Marine and a server at Gallop Asian Bistro in Bridgewater, N.J., posted a photo Nov. 13 on Facebook that showed a receipt with a note on it that said, “I’m sorry but I cannot tip because I do not agree with your lifestyle and how you live your life.”
“I am THOROUGHLY offended … that THIS is what her kids will grow up learning and that I served in the Marines to keep ignorant people like them free,” Morales wrote.
Morales said it “took every fiber of my being not to spit in their food and say something.”
The post was shared thousands of times, and Morales’ story was picked up by local and national media outlets. After the story didn’t appear to be losing steam, a family contacted NBC 4 New York to say they were the family in question — but the receipt was a fake.
The family, which requested to remain anonymous, said they have a receipt from the bistro that shows they tipped. They also provided the station with a credit card statement that indicated they had been charged $111.55 for the meal. The receipt in the photo showed a total of $93.55.
“We’ve never not left a tip when someone gave good service, and we would never leave a note like that,” the wife said.
The husband said he had not voted for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie because the governor does not support gay marriage.
The couple said they came forward about the story because Morales said she has received tips from people around the world and was donating some of the money to the Wounded Warrior Project.
“I just felt like people have a right to know that — it’s fine if people want to donate to her or to the Wounded Warriors, but they’re doing it under a false pretense,” the wife said.
Contact Stephanie Grimes at sgrimes@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @steph_grimes
