A part time professor at the University of New Mexico who deals with racial justice says racism is the reason why he was kicked out of a Santa Fe Dunkin’ Donuts.
He knew to pull out his cell phone and start recording the incident to teach his students a lesson on the experience.
Employee: “You’re done.”
Nelson: “You done?”
Employee: “You’re done.”
Nelson: “So what you’re saying is, I only get an hour?”
Employee: “Timothy! Timothy. Goodbye.”
Nelson: “Okay.”
Dr. Timothy Nelson says he was at the Dunkin’ Donuts on St. Francis last week, waiting for his car to be serviced at the Firestone next door.
“That’s when I went into Dunkin’ Donuts because I didn’t want to stay in Firestone. Dunkin’ Donuts is Dunkin’ Donuts, right?” he said.
He put in an order as soon as he walked in.
“Mocha caramel whatever, and then one of those donuts with the brown and the purple sprinkles,” he said.
Nelson says after placing his order, he sat around using the donut shop’s WiFi, but was quickly confronted by an employee.
Nelson: “Did you call the police?”
Employee: “Mr. Dr. Timothy!”
Nelson: “Did you call the police?”
Employee: “You are causing a scene.”
Nelson: “Did you call the police?”
Employee: “Goodbye!”
“All I know is she said I was there too long,” Nelson said.
Nelson believes racism is the real reason why he was kicked out.
“Come on! A one hour rule at Dunkin’? Come on, man!” he said.
Nelson says police eventually showed up to question him about the incident.
Officer: “It’s a place of business, if they make the rules.”
Nelson: “I bought a coffee though!”
Officer: “I understand.”
Nelson ended his encounter with police peacefully, but he says with the nation on high alert about police brutality against African Americans, he thought the whole thing could be a learning experience for his students.
“Well, I’m going to get this on film because I can use it. It was literally the first day I started teaching my online class,” he said.
Nelson has one message for that employee who kicked him out.
“For you to have called the police, you put my life in danger,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Dunkin’ Donuts Corporation said they are aware of the incident. They said the owner of the restaurant claimed it was all a misunderstanding and they apologize to Nelson.
In August, a convenience store clerk in Santa Fe was accused of racially profiling a black college student visiting the city.
Jordan McDowell caught the incident at the Allsup’s on Cerrillos Road on video.
He said when he went in the store to buy candy, the clerk called police saying she wanted him out of her store because he was “acting arrogant because he was black.”
That incident ended with Santa Fe’s mayor and police chief reaching out to McDowell to apologize.
