A student activist said a Dunkin' employee in Portland, Maine, refused service and called police on her after a dispute started because she was speaking Somali with her family. Hamdia Ahmed, 20, said she and her family were having a conversation in their car while waiting in the Dunkin' drive-thru on Monday when the employee working at the window asked them to stop yelling. "We were just speaking in our native language. We weren’t yelling," Ahmed told NBC News. Ahmed captured the resulting argument on video, which she posted to Twitter. "You’re going to disrespect me cause I speak a different language than you. Is that what it is?" Ahmed asked the employee in the video. The employee immediately responded with a threat to call the police. "You can leave. I don’t want to hear it. I’m done with it. You can leave or I will call the cops," she can be heard saying in the short video. Hamdia Ahmed says the shift manager called the police on her family at a Dunkin Donuts in Portland, Maine. Hamdia Ahmed Ahmed then went inside the coffee shop to see if she could resolve the issue. She noted that her brother stayed in the car when she went inside the Dunkin' because they realized the police might be on their way, and "he was afraid as a black man in America — you never know what’s going to happen." Police arrived within five minutes and issued Ahmed a no trespassing notice, barring her from going to the store for a year. The reason police listed for the notice was "disturbance — yelling at staff." The order has since been rescinded after the store owner, Dave DaRosa, stepped in, Ahmed said. DaRosa met with the family Wednesday to apologize and let them know that his staff would be better trained so nothing similar happens in the future. DeRosa met Ahmed and "sincerely apologized to her for the poor experience and is working on providing additional customer service training to his store crew," Dunkin' said in a statement. Ahmed is a refugee from Somalia who arrived in the U.S. about 14 years ago. A student at the University of Southern Maine, she describes herself as a model and an advocate for immigrants' rights who has organized rallies and spoken at the United Nations. "I’m proud of myself for speaking up against this because it’s not right," Ahmed said. "My family did not deserve to be treated that way, and I hope I started a conversation about why the police are called on black people for no reason." In the past two weeks, at least three videos of white people calling police on black people who have done nothing wrong have gone viral.<doc-sep>Dunkin’ Donuts has apologized to a Somalian customer who was berated by an employee for not speaking English. (Photo: Facebook/Hamdia Ahmed) Dunkin Donuts apologized to a college student after one of its employees called the police in an altercation that she said began when she stopped at a drive-thru with her family and the attendant heard them speaking Somali. On Monday, 20-year-old Hamdia Ahmed tried placing a coffee order in the drive-thru of a Dunkin’ Donuts located in Portland, Maine, when an employee became enraged over the loudspeaker. “We were speaking in our native language before we even spoke through the microphone to place our order. Out of nowhere, the shift manager screamed at us and said, ‘Stop yelling, leave or I’m calling the cops,’” Ahmed wrote on Facebook. “I was surprised to hear this because we weren’t even doing anything. The shift manager told us to leave and she was calling the police. She also refused to take our order.” The University of Southern Maine student parked, leaving her older brother and mother in the car, and went inside the store to inquire why the police were called. “I also wanted to let this woman know that her behavior was unacceptable,” Ahmed tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “And I decided to wait for the police.” Ahmed alleges other customers began filming the altercation and says one left the store saying, “I’m not buying coffee here — this is straight-up racism.” Hamida Ahmed says she was racially discriminated against at a Portland, Maine, Dunkin Donuts. (Photo: Jason Poulin) Ahmed explained in her Facebook post that after speaking to police officers, she was initially issued a no-trespass order for “disturbance and yelling at a staff.” According to the Portland Press Herald, Ahmed’s order bans her from the John Street location for one year. “The only crime we committed was speaking in our native language,” wrote Ahmed. “Languages come in a different tone and this woman felt like we were a threat to her. This is America and everyone should have the right to speak in their native language. Unbelievable.” Ahmed also posted a Facebook video of the argument. “Don’t talk to me like that when I was talking to my family in my language,” she says into the drive-thru microphone. “You’re going to disrespect me because I speak a different language than you? Is that what it is?” Story continues The employee responds, “It has nothing to do with your language. You can leave. I don’t want to hear it. I’m done with it. You can leave, or I’ll call the cops.” Guys, I need your help. Today my family and I want @dunkindonuts. Before we even place our order through the dr thru, we were told to leave for speaking in our native language. We were called a “ bitch.” The police were called on us, and now can’t go back their. I am disgusted. pic.twitter.com/A1foloR1ma — Hamdia Ahmed (@hamdia_ahmed) October 15, 2018 According to the news outlet, store owner Dave DaRosa apologized to Ahmed on Wednesday and he revoked the “No Trespass” order. Representatives of Dunkin’ Donuts and the Portland Police Department did not return Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment. “He gave a sincere apology,” Ahmet told the Press Herald. “He acknowledged that the police should have never been called.” The paper also published a statement from Dunkin Donuts’ corporate office: “Dunkin’ and our franchisees are committed to creating a positive customer service experience for all of our guests. The franchisee who owns and operates the store has confirmed he has met with the guest, sincerely apologized to her for the poor experience and is working on providing additional customer service training to his store crew.” “I appreciate their apology but what I really wanted to get out of the meeting is I want training for their workers,” Ahmed told the Press Herald. “Because they can’t treat people like that, and the police should have never been called.” According to a recent Tweet from Ahmed, Dunkin’ Donuts will now train their staff as well. Update: The owner Dave has apologized for the incident that occurred in his store. The no trespass order has been rescinded. He acknowledge that the police should have never been called on us. Their will be a training for the staffs. Proud of myself for speaking up.✊🏽 https://t.co/OgjjkuXehX — Hamdia Ahmed (@hamdia_ahmed) October 18, 2018 Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.<doc-sep>"It has nothing to do with your language. You can leave. I don’t want to hear it. I’m done with it. You can leave or I will call the cops.” Ahmed said she went into the store to defuse the situation, but the employee called police who issued a no trespassing notice for "disturbance -- yelling at staff," the Portland Press Herald reported. The order was rescinded after the store owner intervened. Dave DaRosa met with Ahmed and her family Wednesday and apologized. "I am working on a plan to help ensure this does not happen again and will keep you updated,” DaRosa said in a letter that Ahmed posted on social media. Ahmed, a student, activist and model, immigrated with her family to the United States in 2005 after escaping the Somali Civil War. She is studying political science at University of Southern Maine and is an outspoken anti-racist activist. She has spoken before the United Nations. She was the first Muslim woman to throw the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game. In 2017, she became the first Muslim woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Maine USA pageant. "I'm proud of myself for speaking up against this because it's not right," Ahmed told NBC News. "My family did not deserve to be treated that way, and I hope I started a conversation about why the police are called on black people for no reason." This is not the first time Ahmed has faced discrimination at a coffee shop. Ahmed, who does not drink alcohol, ordered a drink at a Starbucks on Sept. 14, and asked the barista to check the alcohol content on the vanilla syrup. The employee laughed and rolled her eyes in response, Ahmed told WCSH. At the time, Ahmed contacted Starbucks, which apologized and said they would investigate the incident. Ahmed told WCSH the response was adequate and hoped sharing her story prompted a larger discussion on ending discrimination.<doc-sep>A Dunkin’ Donuts employee in Maine called the cops on a Somali beauty queen — along with refusing to serve her and demanding that she vamoose — all because she spoke to her family in her native tongue on a drive-through line this week, according to a new report. Hamdia Ahmed, 20, pulled up to a Portland Dunkin’ Donuts on Monday afternoon and waited for someone to take her family’s order, Ahmed told Maine Public Radio. “All of a sudden we just hear like, ‘Stop yelling. You’re yelling in my ears! '” Ahmed told the station. “And we were just like, ‘What the hell just happened? What is going on? When were we yelling? We’re having a conversation. '” Ahmed and her family were simply speaking in their native Somali language — and there was no yelling involved, she explained. But when she tried to tell this to the store employee, the woman refused to take their order and called for a manager to come to the microphone. “You’re gonna disrespect me ’cause I, I speak a different language than you?” Ahmed asked the worker in a video she captured on her phone and posted to Twitter. “Is that what it is?” “It has nothing to do with language,” the worker said. “Yeah, it does,” Ahmed insisted. “I was talking to my family.” “I don’t want to hear it!” the employee shot back. “I’m done with it. You can leave, or I will call the cops!” “Really?” Ahmed said, clearly shocked. Ahmed, who was behind the wheel, then told the woman she would come into the store to speak to the manager in person. Inside the store, more words were exchanged and an employee called Ahmed a “b—h,” she told the outlet. Cops were called, and after speaking to both parties, they slapped Ahmed with a year-long “no trespass notice” for yelling at employees and creating a disturbance, according to the report. Following a Wednesday morning protest outside the store, Ahmed called for a meeting with the franchise owner, who apologized and said he would withdraw the notice. “Dunkin’ and our franchisees are committed to creating a positive customer service experience for all of our guests,” the company said in a statement issued to the station. “The franchisee who owns and operates the store has confirmed he has met with the guest, sincerely apologized to her for the poor experience and is working on providing additional customer service training to his store crew.” Ahmed said she was grateful for the company’s effort to make things right. “It should have never happened and I don’t think anyone should experience this ever again, but I also think that they’re trying to fix things and I appreciate that,” she told the station. Last month, Ahmed, who attends the University of Southern Maine, claimed she was the subject of religious discrimination at a local Starbucks, News Center Maine reported. She had asked an employee to help her check the alcohol content of vanilla flavoring that might be in her order — since many Muslims, like Ahmed, abstain from alcohol, according to the report. Instead of helping her, the barista laughed and rolled her eyes, Ahmed asserted. “Other people have treated me with respect,” she told the station. “They always change their gloves if I’m ordering a sandwich if they touch a pork product. They try to accommodate me, they try to be helpful and I appreciate them. But I’ve never had a situation like this, where someone refused to help me or read an ingredient for me that I can’t physically see.” Starbucks expressed “sincere apologies” and “will do a full investigation,” the company said in a statement. Ahmed entered the Miss Maine competition last year, and was the first contestant to wear a hijab and burkini during the pageant, according to Teen Vogue.<doc-sep>
A Maine student says a Dunkin' Donuts employee refused to serve her and then called the police following an argument that began because she and her family were speaking Somali. Hamdia Ahmed, a Somalian refugee, told NBC News that the incident began while she and her family were waiting to order at a Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru in Portland, Maine. Ahmed said she and her family were having a conversation in Somali before an employee working at the window asked them to stop yelling. ADVERTISEMENT "We were just speaking in our native language. We weren’t yelling," Ahmed told the outlet. The 20-year-old student and activist captured the end of the dispute in a video she shared to Twitter on Monday afternoon, which has since racked up more than 50,000 views. "You’re going to disrespect me cause I speak a different language than you. Is that what it is?" Ahmed can be heard asking the female employee in the clip. The employee then told Ahmed she could leave the store or she would call the police. "You can leave. I don’t want to hear it. I’m done with it. You can leave or I will call the cops," the employee said. Guys, I need your help. Today my family and I want @dunkindonuts. Before we even place our order through the dr thru, we were told to leave for speaking in our native language. We were called a “ bitch.” The police were called on us, and now can’t go back their. I am disgusted. pic.twitter.com/A1foloR1ma — Hamdia Ahmed (@hamdia_ahmed) October 15, 2018 Ahmed said she went inside the shop in an attempt to resolve the dispute after the shift manager called the police. Police arrived shortly after and Ahmed was reportedly issued a no-trespassing notice for "yelling at staff," according to the report. The notice has reportedly since been rescinded, however, after the store owner, Dave DaRosa, intervened. Dunkin' Donuts said in a statement to NBC News that DaRosa met with Ahmed and her family on Wednesday to "sincerely apologized to her for the poor experience and is working on providing additional customer service training to his store crew.” Ahmed, a student activist at the University of Southern Maine, told the publication she is "proud of myself for speaking up against this because it’s not right.” "My family did not deserve to be treated that way, and I hope I started a conversation about why the police are called on black people for no reason,” she added.