A manager at a Capriotti's sandwich shop on Park Road in Charlotte is facing allegations that he used a racial slur against a Black customer and threatened to beat him during a dispute over a sandwich order, according to a report detailing a recorded encounter at the store.
The confrontation allegedly began after a customer ordered an “impossible sandwich with extra cheese” on October 8, according to Charlotte Alerts News, which identified the manager as Afton Dusharm. The outlet reported that Dusharm, described as both a manager and general manager at the location, was caught on camera using the slur multiple times during the dispute and threatened to beat the customer. Other customers and employees were reportedly present in the store at the time, and customers recorded the encounter, per the same report.
Pattern of Complaints Alleged
Beyond the October 8 incident, the report states that customers and employees had filed multiple complaints about Dusharm's behavior prior to this encounter, and that he continued working at the Capriotti's location after most of those complaints were lodged. The article also alleges that Dusharm's conduct created a racist hostile work environment, though that characterization comes from the outlet's reporting rather than any independently confirmed legal finding.
Employees separately reported that drug and alcohol use occurred on the job, the outlet's report states. The same report says employees and customers are now set to file lawsuits against Capriotti's, though no court filings, criminal charges, or formal complaints were included in the available reporting to confirm whether any such action has actually been initiated.
Where the Store Sits in Charlotte
The Capriotti's location at the center of the allegations sits at 4323 Park Rd. in Charlotte, according to a listing from MapQuest. The sandwich chain opened that Park Road Shopping Center spot as its third Charlotte-area restaurant, a milestone noted at the time by the Charlotte Business Journal. No response from Dusharm, Capriotti's corporate representatives, the store's owner, or the customer involved was included in the reporting reviewed for this story.
What North Carolina Law Says
If the threats described in the report were made as alleged, North Carolina law treats willfully threatening to physically injure another person as a Class 1 misdemeanor when done without lawful authority, according to the relevant statute published by the North Carolina General Assembly. Separately, state law establishes a public policy that people should be able to seek, obtain, and hold employment free from discrimination based on race and other protected categories at businesses employing 15 or more workers, per another statute from the same body.
Workers who believe they have faced employment discrimination in North Carolina can begin the charge-filing process through the state's Civil Rights Division, according to the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. That office's Civil Rights Division is responsible for investigating such charges once they are filed. None of the available reporting establishes whether the Park Road location meets the employee threshold referenced in the statute, whether any charge has been filed, or whether Dusharm remains employed at the restaurant as of publication.
