***UPDATE: KFC is now investigating the Victoria Wilcher incident. A spokesperson Sunday said that the company is also giving $30,000 toward Victoria Wilcher’s medical bills.
Original article: The family of three year old Victoria Wilcher have been left outraged after a recent trip to a KFC outlet in Jackson, Mississipi saw the toddler and her family made to leave on account of an eye scar purportedly ‘scaring other diners.’
Victoria Wilcher’s family shut down facebook and gofundme page.
Kentucky Fried Chicken hoax: How Victoria Wilcher’s family pulled a fast one
Victoria Wilcher receives $30 000 from KFC. Did Grandmother lie?
Read a subsequent post on Facebook entitled Victoria’s Victories after the humiliating experience:
‘Does this face look scary to you?’
‘Last week at KFC in Jackson MS this precious face was asked to leave because her face scared the other diners.’
Victoria Wilcher’s came to be injured in an attack in April at the hands of a pit bull, when three of her grandfather’s dogs ran into his home in Simpson County, Mississippi. The dogs ripped through the back door of the home and jumped on her.
The dogs then dragged the little girl outside into the backyard, where they continued to maul her before her grandfather, Donald Mullins, and his girlfriend, Rita Tompkins, futilely attempted to keep the pit bulls at bay. The dogs then attacked their owners, causing Mullins to shoot them dead.
Rushed to the emergency room, Victoria Wilcher through no fault of her own came to find herself incurring a shattered top and bottom jaw, broken cheekbones and eye sockets, along with a broken nose. According to the first posting on Victoria’s Victories, Wilcher lost her right eye, and lost the ability to move the right side of her face.
Mullins and Tompkins would be arrested on child endangerment charges. The couples eight surviving pit bulls would come to be seized by Animal Control officers.
Wilcher was in the hospital for approximately one month after the attack. Upon her return home, she continued with physical therapy and wearing a feeding tube.
‘I took her to the doctor and I went to KFC.’ Wilcher’s grandmother, Kelly Mullins, told WAPT.
‘I ordered a large sweet tea and her some mashed potatoes and gravy because she was hungry. She was on a feeding tube at the time, but I figured she could just swallow (the potatoes).’
‘They just told us, they said, “We have to ask you to leave because her face is disrupting our customers”. (Victoria) understood exactly what they said.’
The grandmother would leave in tears. The experience would leave the toddler traumatized.
Reiterated Kelly Mullins: ‘Now when we go somewhere, she don’t want to get out.’
Since Thursday’s facebook posting, outpourings of sympathy and anger at the company have flooded the family’s page, prompting an apology from the chain. Are you surprised?
Retorted KFC spokesman Rick Maynard: ‘KFC launched an investigation as soon as we were made aware of this report,’
‘We take this very seriously, as we have zero tolerance for any kind of hurtful or disrespectful actions toward our guests. Our investigation is ongoing, but we will make things right for this beautiful little girl and her family, and will work with the franchisee to take appropriate action at the restaurant.’
KFC has since taken to commenting on Victoria’s Victories Facebook page, presumably in the hope of stemming public outcry against the outlet:
‘KFC has reached out for more information thanks to the overwhelming support for Victoria.’ reads the post
‘Thank you for sharing her story and please continue to pray for her and her recovery. She still has several surgeries in her future and will continue to need our love and support.’
And then there were these following comments on the web that caught my attention:
If anyone was wondering, apparently this isn’t the real story of what happened. According to people in the town, Kelly had approached the store manager to ask that they throw several children out because they were staring at Victoria. Not making fun of her or bullying her, just staring. The manager had no reason to throw them out because they weren’t being openly rude or nasty to the point of unreasonableness, so she refused. Then the grandmother started getting angry because the manager wouldn’t do what she said and became so disruptive that she was the one asked to leave. At no point did anyone say that they were being thrown out of the store because of the injuries to Victoria’s face. It was all because the grandmother reacted poorly to children showing a natural curiosity over Victoria’s injuries. Maybe the children’s parents could have asked them to stop staring because it was impolite, but according to the stories going around, they weren’t doing anything over the top.
After they left, the grandmother started going to every news station she could and told everyone that KFC was mean to them, all the while telling them that she was doing a fundraiser to pay for Victoria’s hospital bills. I hope that none of this is true, but it sounds a little too reasonable for my comfort level.
Ignorance is something like an illness for which there is no cure. Besides having no recover from a dog attack now this little one has to recover from emotional hurt from some ignorant people who should know better. Please give her extra cuddles and hope she makes a quick and full recovery. Amazes me that some people could be so callous to an innocent child. KFC employee as unhealthy as the food KFC serves!
Sometimes you get a rogue employee, and companies do their best but can be taken by surprise. 18 years ago a mothercare employee decided to kick me out the shop for breastfeeding and her horrified colleagues dashed over and asked her what on earth she thought she was doing. Her supervisor took her away.
Would they ask a disfigured war veteran/hero to leave..I think not, so why this beautiful little girl…Disgusting is what it is, some of todays society are reprobates!!!
She was attacked by three of her grandfathers Pit Bulls and he owned 10, really? What the hell is this guy owning 10 Pit Bulls for. Must be some really ignorant people to have this many dangerous dogs around this beautiful little girl.
Sad when humanity is more concerned about having a comfortable dining experience rather than to make comfortable the child’s dealings with a situation such as this. The manager should have sensitivity training with handling situations as this as a more positive solution could have been achieved. Its bad enough that a child had to go through the horror of being attacked by an animal, it’s worse now knowing that people look and make comments and find her ugly in their perfect world. Stay strong little one…..you will be better soon enough and as for KFC, handle it.
I didn’t think I wanted kids until I saw this sweet lil girl.
So you’re complaining that they’re doing the very thing you’re complaining that they should be doing? You’re just an idiot who has it out for them.
Sounds like a cash grab to me. Her negligent family is feeling very guilty because it IS their fault she’s scarred.
TEN pittbulls allowed access to a 3 y.o. child? What kind of people are these???
I guess if they can raise enough money, they can get the scars fixed and no longer feel guilty, huh?
I read grandma was kicked out of KFC due to her own tantrum. Ran to the media to get sympathy before the real story was told. What a scam.
KFC owes grandma nothing but is very kind in helping that poor child.
I wouldn’t be so quick to jump at this story. Did anyone think for one minute that this might be a ploy to get money? After all, it was the grandfather’s pit bulls that mauled the child in the first place. I don’t believe for one minute that a KFC employee asked this little girl to leave.
If children were staring at Victoria, the smart thing to do would be to tell them what happened to Victoria’s face, and ask them not to stare. They didn’t need to be kicked out of the restaurant, and the grandmother should not have demanded that they be. That’s assuming that’s what really happened.
I will always remember an elderly war vet with an artificial arm when I was a young child. My younger sister was the brave one and asked what it was all about. The man patiently told us what had happened, and jokingly told us the hook on the end was good for ‘getting’ children’s noses. He was a hilarious old guy and I will always be grateful for the time he took.
Poor little Victoria will sadly have to face stares. The grandmother can set an excellent example by politely and matter of factly telling people what happened. Victoria’s scars are nothing for her to be ashamed of, and if she is given the tools she’ll need later on to answer questions, she’ll be that much better off. I really hope the doctors are able to fix her face enough that her scars attract little attention.
they are doing so because kfc has a horribly bad track record of “discrimination” lawsuits where they’ve LOST…and had to pay large amounts of money. it’s no wonder they are FEARING any kind of backlash. especially since this has gotten so much press and publicity.
I think you are going to change the world with that beautiful smile of yours! It surely made me smile!
That’s exactly what happened. actually. KFC is giving the girl 30,000 ( regardless of the out come of the investigation) And they are also investigating and probably cracking down on the folks actually responsible. If you ask me, that’s a great way for a company to behave
@ Ken Harlson.
Sorry to clarify for you but the KFC corporation is responsible for each and every one of their subordinates in one way or another. If this franchise exercised correct customer service training to include a blanket type of cultural sensitivity it should not have occurred, regardless of the associates age or what line of business s/he operated. If any egregious situation demands punitive reconciliation, it is this one!
The punitive reparations have nothing to do with greed but all about negative reinforcement that will hopefully assist KFC in reprioritizing part of their employee training…and maybe help one or two associates realize that respecting others dignity is a right and not a leisure.
I see a lot of well meaning people lashing out against the employer instead of the employee. Shameful as it may sound this type of reaction is fueled by greed more than anything. KFC cannot hand hold each and every one if its employees and prevent such abhorrent behavior. For some reason a lot of people think they can. Why seek to punish a minimum wage earner when you can go after a wealthy franchise? Because it is far more profitable. You should be ashamed of yourselves.