The three Black women from Texas who were arrested for beating a hostess at Carmine’s last month were arraigned on assault charges Tuesday.
All three women – Kaeita Rankin, Tyonnie Rankin and Sally Lewis – face charges of assault, attempted assault and harassment, court papers indicate, and could face up to a year in prison if convicted.
The three are due back in court on November 18.
Advertisement
It was originally believed that the altercation began when the women were unable to show the hostess proof of having been vaccinated. It was soon revealed, though, that it was two men who had later joined their party who couldn’t provide vaccination proof, which is why they were not allowed to enter the restaurant.
Justin A. Moore, an attorney representing one of the women, also claimed that the 24-year-old hostess had used a racial slur against the women, and told the New York Times that it was “mutual combat.” The Times also wrote that “[Moore] also said the Texas women claim that the hostess assaulted them,” though surveillance footage appears to refute this claim.
READ MORE: Unhinged Lady Yells at Restaurant Goers: “Ya Stupid Schmuck!”
Soon after the New York Times article came out, leaders of Black Lives Matter of Greater NY organized a protest at the restaurant.
About a week after the assault and arrests, Moore also revealed a racially-charged incident at Carmine’s from 2015 through his Instagram page, in which he stated (in part) that “The proof is mounting that Carmine’s is a racist institution that hires people who are anti-black.”
In response to the attorney’s social media post, a spokesperson from Carmine’s sent us the following statement (in part):
“As a sideshow to distract from the fact that his clients attacked our employees and were arrested, the Texas lawyer has now dredged up a false allegation of racial discrimination from six years ago that a judge actually threw out because there was no evidence to support the fabrication.
“Over 90 percent of our employees at the restaurant are people of color. All of our restaurant managers are people of color. All of our hosts on the day of the attack were people of color.”
Advertisement
Footage released by Carmine’s shows the hostess passing the women before exiting the restaurant. While the angle of the camera makes it difficult to determine if the hostess said anything, one of the women appears to react, and can be seen following the hostess outside.
Additional security footage from outside the restaurant shows one of the women initiating a physical assault against the hostess.
We’ve reached out to both sides of the case for updated statements.
Justin A. Moore, the attorney for Kaeita Rankin, tells us that “Yesterday’s arraignment marked the beginning of the path forward for my client Kaeita Rankin to prove her innocence and show that Carmine’s and their employee lied about what happened that day.”
A spokesperson for Carmine’s says “We greatly appreciate how seriously the District Attorney’s office is taking this attack on our staff. Restaurant workers are part of our city’s lifeblood, and today sends a strong message that criminal acts like these will not be tolerated.”
The idea that a waitress in an Upper West Side restaurant physically assaulted and used racial epithets on customers is so ridiculous it’s hard to believe they even tried to claim it.
You are being sarcastic right? Because unless you were there and witnessed it, you know nothing. And neither does anyone else who is advocating harsh penalties for the Black women. Racism…yes…at the core of this. Why is the word of the hostess the truth, and those of the Black ladies a lie. Deny all they want, but, Carmine’s does have a problem and is handling it badly.
The *alleged* assailants did not mention race, or a racial slur, or anything of the kind, immediately following their attack to the staff, police, or anyone. They are visibly the aggressors. Race doesn’t have anything to do with this, and never did (or should never) but for the sleazy move the day after by a lawyer. Comments here, and throughout the local press, suggest no one believes them. AND — guess what?! — even if they had heard (or mis-heard) a slur, that would not justify a physical attack on the hostess. Carmine’s has been excellent in handling this.
Exactly. No matter who said what to whom, punching someone in the face is not an appropriate response.
Renee, be careful playing the race card. It may come back and bite you in your you know what. People are just soooo tired of this divisive game. And I guess you were the fly on the wall that day.
What! Look at the video. I don’t see race rather a pushy, ill mannered woman who didn’t get her way.
Your virtue signaling is staggering. You say nobody can really know but you’re so, so sure racism is at the core.
I think you’re probably right actually — black racism against Asians is most likely at the core of this.
Renee:
The video makes very clear that the patrons assaulted the hostess who had not physically assaulted them, and that assault is unacceptable even if the hostess used some racial slur. Using a racial slur is not illegal–nyc gas is painted all over the west 40s/50s–but physically assaulting someone is.
Given the staffing of Carmine’s, it is very unlikely the hostess used a racist term, albeit, speculating here, after the assault…..
Carmine’s does have a problem, but it’s not racism; it’s that the food isn’t very good.
If you watch the full video, at the end the Carmine’s manager asks one Texas woman, “What happened?” and the Texas woman replies that the hostess, “Kept moving up on us!” The manager asked again, what exactly happened and the Texas woman says the same thing, “She kept moving up on my friend!” There is NO mention of racial epithet. If the Texas women want to play the race card, then we could say that they bullied and attacked an hostess because she was ‘Asian. Attacks on Asians are also rampant, mostly because the attackers believe Asians are docile and will not fight back or stand up for themselves. They thought wrong here!
1. The hostess was doing her job in checking for vaccine IDs, and her decision not to let the two men in was legally justified, as well as supported by her supervisors.
2. It is absolutely clear from the video that one of the Texas women was the initial aggressor re physical confrontation. This is indisputable.
3. As others pointed out, even if the hostess HAD used a racial slur – and it is pretty obvious from comments made here, and vis-a-vis other facts, that she did not – there was NO justification for physical violence.
4. As the owner points out the overwhelming majority of staff at Carmine’s is people of color. So is the majority of customers. I would also add that I myself went through Carmine’s interview and selection process, and can tell you that it is rigorous. Thus, the idea that this singular hostess used a racial slur is absurd in the extreme; she would never have gotten past the selection process, and her colleagues would not have been willing to work with her – much less support her 100% in this situation. As others have pointed out, the “race card” was not played until 24 hours later, when a lawyer got involved.
5. The prior alleged incident – even if it occurred, which is clearly not certain – has NOTHING – nada, zilch, zip – to do with the present situation.
These women are looking for a quick payday. If justice is done, they will not get it. Instead, they will get jail time – which they deserve.
Just about the best comment ever: thorough, polite, devastatingly on point. Thank you
I’m glad the 3 women are being arraigned.
Nobody has the right to argue with restaurant policy, much less City policy, especially when in pandemic mode..
They are from a state where @GOP Guvvy aButt has endlessly sniveled at anti-mask mandates, federal policies and real science, tactics that have TEXAS reeling under the surging Covid. This ain’t Texas, girls!
For them to have taken their anger PHYSICALLY out on the Maitre d is beyond the pale. And sheesh- any other NYC restaurant would have asked them to mask up, too.
I “chatted” with their attorney who seems more interested in putting his handsome young inexperienced mug ahead of anything else and who believes he’s a real “gift”, and so, feel doubly sorry for these women.
But they deserve the full extent of the law.
Good for Carmine’s!
Let’s look at the bright side. If this had happened in Texas, one of the 3 lady patrons might have pulled out a gun and shot the hostess.
Perfecto!
I’d love to see them get 24 hours at Rikers but I’d be surprised if they even came back to NY. And why repeat what the lawyer has to say about the six-year-old case that was dismissed?
It puzzles me that the party simply didn’t ask for outdoor seating when the two men showed up and couldn’t provide the requested jab documentation. Carmine’s most certainly has outdoor seating, and one doesn’t need to provide proof of status to eat/drink outside.
But I guess assaulting the hostess requesting that the men accede to the widely known rule (not law) makes more sense./s
Why not ask for outdoor seating if the two men couldn’t provide the documentation? Carmine’s has such seating. It wasn’t cold or raining hard, and no documentation is needed for outdoor eating/seating.
But I guess to some assaulting the hostess requesting that the men accede to the widely known rule (not law) makes sense. /s
The lawyer (Justin A. Moore) seems to be trying to make a name for himself the way Al Sharpton did in the 1980s, so baseless racially charged accusations, which Sharpton never apologized for.