‘Get the… Out!’: Black Women Kicked Out of Virginia Restaurant Claims They Were Racially Profiled and Denied Service
Nine Black women say they were abruptly kicked out of a Chesapeake, Virginia, steakhouse after its managers wrongly associated them with two Black female patrons who got into a disturbing physical fight in the dining room. The women say they were racially profiled and are considering legal action against the restaurant. Shakoya Sommerville-Holt told reporters Thursday that she and eight girlfriends “in our sister circle” went to the Cork & Bull Chophouse on the evening of Nov. 6 to enjoy a meal, some laughter and celebrate Friendsgiving together. Nine Black women (on right, standing: Tenisha Jones, Ashley McNair, Shakoya Holt, Ashley Pickens, Anquonette Bazemore; sitting: Tenisha Barnes, Tammika Patterson, Kimberly Boney and Crystal McCabe) who went to Cork & Bull Chophouse in Chesapeake, Virginia on Nov. 6, 2025 said they were told to leave the restaurant after two other Black women unknown to them were involved in a physical fight. (Photos: Cork & Bull Chophouse Facebook page, JMG Legal) Shortly after they were seated and ordered drinks, an intense fight broke out between two Black women, unknown to them, who had been seated nearby, and who ended up grappling half-naked on the floor, in a wild scene captured on video that has since gone viral. Police were called, and the two women involved in the altercation left before officers arrived. But management soon focused on the table of nine Black women, telling them they would not be served and needed to go. ‘Eat the Mom Up!’: Mob of Children Savagely Attack Maryland Mom and Her Daughter, Dragging, Punching, and Taunting Her on Camera When Sommerville-Holt asked if the restaurant was closing due to the fight, she says employee Andrew Lewis (listed online as the wine director) responded, “No, we’re just not servicing you all because y’all like to fight.” The women — Holt, Tenisha Barnes, Anquonette Bazemore, Kimberly Boney, Tenisha Jones, Crystal McCabe, Ashley McNair, and Ashley Pickens — said their ejection seemed to be based solely on the fact that both the women in their group and the two women involved in the fight are Black. No other customers, most of whom were not African-American, were questioned or asked to leave. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Atlanta Black Star (@atlblackstar) When police arrived, a female manager directed the officers to interview the stunned party of nine, declaring “they had something to do with it,” their attorney Joy Malbon-Griffin told Atlanta Black Star. She said the police quickly cleared her clients of involvement, but another Cork & Bull employee, a chef, was not satisfied, and began peering at purses and items on their table, remarking that "the ladies involved in the fight" were now looking for their things, Malbon-Griffin said. When her clients again insisted they had nothing to do with the feuding women, the chef allegedly told them, “Get the f—k out, then.” Aghast at their treatment, the women — who are all college educated, with professional jobs — including an accountant, a business systems analyst, and a licensed social worker — filed out in front of the other patrons, “with all eyes on us,” said Pickens, who told WAVY TV that the experience was “very embarrassing.” “What happened to us was confusing, humiliating and deeply upsetting,” said Sommerville-Holt on Thursday. “No one should be removed from a restaurant or denied service when they’ve done nothing wrong.” While she believes their civil rights were violated and “may implicate public accommodations protections,” Malbon-Griffin says they are not yet ready to file a civil lawsuit against the restaurant, which she said has not apologized to the women or responded to any of her or her clients’ communications. “Number one, there has to be accountability,” she said. “There needs to be some acknowledgement of what happened and what went wrong, but more so than that, there needs to be some prevention so that other patrons looking to have a wonderful dining experience will not have to be subjected to this type of treatment by any of their employees." Malbon-Griffin said she sent a letter to the restaurant's parent company, M & M Hospitality, notifying them to preserve video and other evidence related to the incident. Sommerville-Holt said she and the other women are speaking out “to bring awareness, to other establishments and businesses, to have better judgment, to treat your customers with respect. Don't be so quick to assume. Make sure that your staff is trained, because no one should be treated unfairly when they went out to have a good time. ... I don't want this happen to anyone else again.”Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump posted about the incident on Facebook on Thursday, writing,"To be treated like a problem simply because you share the same skin color as those involved is unacceptable. This level of humiliation was not just wrong — it was dehumanizing!” The manager of Cork and Bull Chophouse did not immediately return a request for comment from Atlanta Black Star. On Nov. 7, the day after the incident, the restaurant posted this message on its Facebook page:“Last night, an unexpected altercation between guests occurred in our dining room. We sincerely apologize to our patrons who may have been affected or made uncomfortable. Our team takes great pride in maintaining a warm, welcoming environment for everyone who walks through our doors, and we’re deeply grateful for the continued support of our community.” Malbon-Griffin called that statement “almost like a slap in the face” to her clients, since, “That was an apology to potential patrons. It wasn’t an apology to the people you threw out … professional women who are wives and mothers” who are now feeling “fragile,” she said, some seeking therapy and pastoral counsel over what they experienced. Meanwhile, the social media pages of Cork & Bull have been inundated with angry comments from local residents who scolded the restaurant and its staff for racially profiling and mistreating the women, many vowing never to eat there again. “RACIST!!! RACIST!! RACIST!! RACIST ESTABLISHMENT!!! I HOPE YOU LOSE YOUR BUSINESS FOR BEING RACIST AGAINST THOSE 9 BLACK WOMEN WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ALTERCATION THAT HAPPENED IN YOUR RESTAURANT!!” wrote Michele Campbell on the eatery’s Facebook page. “ALL BLACK WOMEN DO NOT ACT ALIKE! THERE IS BAD IN EVERY RACE!!!!" Others have posted scathing, 1-star reviews online. “This restaurant engaged in racist conduct,” wrote Aliya Jones on Google. “Staff treated non-white customers differently from white patrons, with clear disparities in service and attitude. The behavior was discriminatory and unacceptable. People should be aware that this establishment does not uphold equitable or inclusive standards.” “I think it is appalling to treat your customers in such a way,” wrote Joyner S. on Yelp. “I am an African American woman and this place looks like a great dinner option for me and my friends. But when I arrive, who knows if I'll be kicked out since ‘we all like to fight.’ … I definitely don't want to dine in at any restaurant where I might be stereotyped, or unwanted by certain staff. Hopefully the next melanated person that tries this restaurant will enjoy themselves and not have to walk away from this experience humiliated and uncomfortable.”
