Ilana Cole, 18, is one of the 200 McDonald’s staffers who have recently spoken out against the alleged sexual harassment and misconduct they have been subjected to by the fast food chain, including accusations of groping and their appearances being rated on a scoreboard.
In a detailed report published by Daily Mail, dozens of current and former employees at McDonald’s — some in their mid-teens — have claimed to have been out through an array of sexual misconducts by branch manager at the fast food chain. These fresh allegations are different from the allegations uncovered by BBC through an investigation, that includes accusations of sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying.
Also Read | Who is Kevin Maginnis? Tennessee grandfather embarks on 100-day McDonalds-only diet
Who is Ilana Cole?
Ilana Cole is currently 18 years old. She started working in McDonald’s when she was 16. She initially worked in a different branch in Berkshire but was soon transferred. Before she could start working in her new role, she went through a round of personal interview with a manager.
“He started telling me about the differences between this branch and my last branch and said , ‘Here we’re a lot busier, it’s like you’re getting raped up the a** everyday,'” Cole told Daily Mail. “I was completely shocked that he had just said that but being 16 and naïve, I continued to accept the job offer.”
Things got worse once she started working in the restaurant. She accused her manager of groping her and said that other women in the establishment also for sexually harassed. She also claimed that the manager allegedly discriminated staff members based of their disabilities and nationalities.
Also Read | Big Mac attack: Man wields axe at McDonalds [Watch]
According to Cole, the manager in question “would get really close behind the younger girls almost pressed right against their back, constantly getting close to the girls and deliberately brushing his hand against their waist or bum, which he did to me too.”
Cole also poke to other staff members who were not happy with their job profiles. A man from Romania was allegedly only allowed to work on the “fries section” and “was completely covered in burns and scars that were never reported,” she said. Cole said that she believes he was treated differently because of his nationality.
“I never complained about the behavior as all of the managers were best friends with each other, so a complaint wouldn’t get very far,” she said. “When I saw the story on the news, I wasn’t even a little bit surprised. If anything, I was surprised it took so long for people to come out about the abuse as this has been going on for years.”