Former KK’s Corner Employee Calls Customer the N-Word

What had happened was...

Beaumont resident, Toylan Stevens, stopped to grab a bottle of tea and snacks at the Time Loop Exxon (formerly KK's Corner, 2602 Hwy. 14) in Lake Charles. Stevens told us he frequents the store when in town to visit family all the time. He says he was second in line, when the man in front of him placed his stuff on the counter and walked out of the store. Stevens then moved up, put his stuff on the counter, and waited to be checked-out. Out of nowhere, Stevens says the clerk looked at him and said, "Where did that Ni*** go?"

Stevens said he'd never seen the woman before in his life and was shocked. She was talking to Troylan but referring to the customer who was in front of him, and that man happened to be white. He explained that while the clerk waited on the gentleman, she turned her back to get something and when she turned back around, the man was outside. Steven told us he thinks the guy left his wallet in the car. Meanwhile, Stevens stood in disbelief and asked the young clerk, "What did you just say?"

He said she repeated the derogatory slur and became belligerent and started shouting, "You're my Ni***!," What's up my Ni**a?"

Stevens says she then proceeded to insinuate that somehow she was being politically correct. However, Mr. Stevens wasn't having it. He said she was acted as if he'd offended her and told him, "I didn't say it with an E-R, I said N-I-*-*-A!"

Mr. Stevens responded, "I don't care how you spell it, you are wrong for saying it. You can't say that to me and you don't even know me."

He said the clerk continued to lose control, to the point that another clerk pushed her away from the counter, trying to make her stop. Stevens told the clerk, "You don't have a right to ever use that word. I don't use it, nor do I allow my kids to use it."

Peep the video below and see how it all went down:

First, let me pause and give Mr. Stevens props for handling the situation the way he did. Never did he call the clerk out by her name or shout profanities at her. He addressed both gas station clerks as ma'am the whole time. Troylan respectfully asked for a refund and told them the store didn't deserve his money. The second clerk tossed his money on the counter and he walked out.

You would think it ended there, but it didn't. The clerk proceeded to follow Mr. Stevens out of the store. Unbelievably, she continued to shout racial slurs, pulling out her phone and starting to dance as she mocked Mr. Stevens in the parking lot as he left.

Peep the video below:

As disgusting as the clerk's behavior was, I am glad that Troylan Stevens stayed above the fray. He didn't back down, but he didn't lose his temper, either. That is very hard to do when you are being violated and disrespected for no reason. So shouts out the Troylan Stevens for handling that like a grown man! This story has a happy ending, though. Murtaza Khan Awan, a person of color and a minority himself, took action immediately.

The clerk's behavior cost her a job at another establishment in Lake Charles, also ironically enough, owned by minorities. The Kitchen Restaurant dropped her like a bad habit and rightfully so. People like her need to know this type of behavior will not be tolerated. Whether she was trying to be disrespectful or not, calling a person of color the "N-Word" will never be okay, especially in public.

Mr. Stevens made it a point to tell us the he appreciated the way both of the business owners handled the situation. Toylan said he wants everyone to know, "I want to applaud Mr. Awan for reaching out to me so quickly. He found me on Facebook and apologized publicly, then he called me to apologize personally."

Stevens said he's not bitter and will continue to patronize Awan's Time Loop Exxon in the future. He said, " I'm not going to hold what an employee did against Mr. Awan and his store. He took care of the problem immediately after it happened. That's all I could ask for."

It started off bad, but I am certainly glad that it all worked out in the end.