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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsReport: Story of girl getting tossed from KFC hoax
The report of a Jackson KFC accused of asking a 3-year-old girl to leave because of facial scars was a hoax, according to the Laurel Leader-Call.
The story of Victoria Wilcher, who was disfigured by dog attack, being asked to leave a KFC Jackson because her appearance was scaring other customers was a story generated out of whole cloth and resulted in the family receiving more than $135,000 in cash, as well as gifts and free surgeries, sources with deep knowledge of the investigation said exclusively to the Laurel Leader-Call.
The sources spoke on the condition of strict anonymity because they were not permitted to speak on the record.
A third-party mediator has been brought in on the case and he has been investigating the claims. No one with KFC, including Jackson franchise owner Kirk Hannon, would comment on the investigation until it is completed but they did release the following statement on Friday.
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Link to source
I have to admit it, I was caught by the hoax.
Skittles
(152,918 posts)and I feel sorry for that little girl
I hope the little girl can get whatever surgery is necessary to help her with her scars. Nobody should be that young and self-conscious.
LisaL
(44,961 posts)Not.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)RKP5637
(67,008 posts)JI7
(89,150 posts)LisaL
(44,961 posts)That story never made any sense to me. Considering the child doesn't look scary, it was hard to believe someone would be stupid enough to complain, and find employee dumb enough to ask this child to leave. Like the article says, the possible KFCs are located close to the hospital (and one of them is actually closed), so they are used to people with all kinds of issues, much worse than this little girl's.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,067 posts)why people think they can get away with these kinds of hoaxes when there are security cameras almost everywhere, not to mention witnesses. You put something like this on Facebook, pretty soon there's a big controversy, then there's an investigation and inevitably the truth comes out. Meantime, completely innocent KFC employees have been harassed and threatened by ignorant bozos and generous people have been cheated. I hope the child gets the care she needs, but her family needs a butt-kicking if this is proved to be a hoax.
exboyfil
(17,853 posts)To the tune of at least $130K. That is why I think KFC immediately pledging the money was probably the incorrect move. Now every shake down artist has a precedence in their behavior. On the flip side if the money does directly go to helping the girl, then they still have a PR windfall. She can't be held responsible for the many irresponsible adults in her life (first the family member who owned the dogs, then the family member who place her in jeopardy, and finally the grandmother that turned her injury into a spectacle).
BillZBubb
(10,650 posts)First, you had to have a really callous customer complaining that they were "scared" of a poor little girl. Not likely. Then you had to have someone in the restaurant with without a bit of common sense foolish enough to go demand the child leave. Sure, one of those is possible, but having two sub-humans come together at just the right time is too much to believe.
The parents, or whoever started the hoax deserves to be sued by KFC. Of course, KFC won't sue them.
LisaL
(44,961 posts)So, if it's closed, it sure as hell couldn't have happened there.
Livluvgrow
(377 posts)that is no hoax that is fraud. How could they use that childs trauma for fraud? That is sick. A hoax is a trick haha funny and there isn't anything funny here. Charges? Restitution?
3catwoman3
(23,746 posts)...am becoming more so as I accumulate the decades because of stories such as this. I admit to being taken in by this tale.
I never donate to people who stand at traffic intersections claiming to be collecting for someone with health care needs because I do not believe them.
flygal
(3,231 posts)I had red flags on this story too because I've seen much worse at McDonalds and no way they would be asked to leave.
LisaL
(44,961 posts)becomes outraged.
People never learn.
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)I just don't trust people.
madaboutharry
(40,137 posts)I didn't think it credible that someone would complain about this little girl. I agree with the comment above that this is more fraud than a hoax. Poor girl had this trauma but also has a very creepy family.
Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)He's got a good bullshit detector.
ChisolmTrailDem
(9,463 posts)show, I think. One of those morning one's after that intern murderer goes off.
cui bono
(19,926 posts)Such lazy reporting these days, it's just stenography now.
LisaL
(44,961 posts)What about the public?
They don't need any proof. Just an allegation is good enough.
Mrdrboi
(110 posts)I wonder how many people dident get fooled? I feel bad for the KFC employees for getting the hate to which they dont deserve. Having a bad paying job is enough dont need to be making death threats on these people.
davidn3600
(6,342 posts)...the lie spread too far and too fast and got out of control.
Potentially they could be charged with a crime here and/or get hit with lawsuits. They better already be talking to a lawyer.
But if this is a hoax, it proves you can't trust headlines. When you only get one side of the story and the media fails to investigate, this is what happens.
JI7
(89,150 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Odd, that.
Quantess
(27,630 posts)Blame the idiot dog owner, blame the dishonest family members who cooked up the hoax, but don't blame the little girl. Besides, she probably needed the surgeries and funds to cover the medical bills. It's not right, but desperate people do desperate things.
MADem
(135,425 posts)Lovely family. I think the kid needs a new living environment. It's not a good thing to be raised by irresponsible grifters.
LisaL
(44,961 posts)MADem
(135,425 posts)Can't pick your relatives, and she was stuck with some real beauts.
Atman
(31,464 posts)This one didn't pass the smell test. As with most of these kinds of "heart wrenching" stories, they tend to turn out phony, as did this one. But I can't count the number of times I've had friends posts bullshit that was three or four years old as if it was something brand new, or storied like this one, without ever checking up on the facts. It's too easy to just click "share."
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)Just a little too over the top...people are desperate for money these days. To paraphrase Kunstler, "Anything goes. Nothing matters."
MADem
(135,425 posts)asshole with "I'll never buy your product again!!!! WAAAH!!! Popeye's for MEEEE! So THERE!! You are AWFUL! HORRIBLE!!! You're the UGLY ONES!!!!" and who singled out that franchise for their particular excoriation come BACK to their keyboards and say "I'm sorry for the things I said, KFC, I wish I'd waited to get the full story before I rushed to judgment..."
I'll bet they don't.
And shame on granny, for being a weird-ass bullshitter. She needs to get herself some HELP. She also needs to give back ALL THE MONEY she bilked, and she probably needs to go to jail for a little bit, too--people need to understand that this kind of shit is NOT OK.
More than $135,000 has been raised through an online donation site, gofundme.com, since June 13.
The fund was created by Bates on April 28. The funding before the chicken caper came from seven donors for a total of $595.
On May 20, Victoria's Victories posted: "Victoria's family is really struggling with the insurance company. Currently <DP>the(y) are not paying for the formula that goes into her feeding pump. If you can donate please do. They need your help."
No donations were given after that post until June 13, when the KFC incident went viral.
The fund collected 46 donations on June 13. On June 14, 164 people donated.
On June 15, 709 people donated and on June 16, when the firestorm had reached its zenith, 1,085 people donated. From June 17 to noon June 21, 855 more people had donated to the fund.
Of those donations, $30,000 of it came from KFC for help with medical bills suffered when Victoria was attacked by three pit bulls at her grandfather's Simpson County trailer.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/06/23/girl-tossed-from-kfc-hoax/11284405/
JustAnotherGen
(31,631 posts)And that's that for me.
New Rule - wait two days to comment.
MADem
(135,425 posts)accusations.
There have been some beauts down the years. The one thing that binds the hoaxers together is a complete lack of care as to how their lies and misrepresentations affect other people.
It sucks to be falsely accused. It sucks to be painted as a hater or a bigot. That's the part that isn't really dealt with too much with these stories. It's always about the perpetrator of the hoax, how they must be mentally ill, how they should have to give back the money, blah, blah, blah. I think if we had less tolerance for people shopping these hoaxes, and made them do some real time in the county jail, maybe pay a fine, and be held up to public scorn, more sympathy/empathy for those who are wrongly characterized as assholes, this kind of thing would stop.
People do it out of greed and a need for drama, they regard the business (restaurant, KFC franchise) as a "corporate entity" when in actual fact it's some schmuck who is the owner/franchisee who is getting screwed and having their reputation dragged through the mud. It can ruin people. And where do they go to get their reputations back, even after they are exonerated (to riff on the famous comment of the perhaps not-entirely-savory Raymond Donovan!). It was a great quote, in any event!
JustAnotherGen
(31,631 posts)My husband and me - included -with a very nice tip.
And - it turns out the couple in that situation - very very much like my husband and me. Pro the right to be recognized as full American citizens with all the rights that entails for the GLBT community.
I'll still eat at Gallop though - the food is really wonderful!
MADem
(135,425 posts)When ya finally get a neighborhood joint that is GOOD, ya hate to see them close. I still miss the little restaurant lounge within walking distance of my ancestral home--and that thing got torn down forty some odd years ago!!!!
Orrex
(63,057 posts)pipi_k
(21,020 posts)at least the meat was light and airy
Niceguy1
(2,467 posts)Stories should not be believed until further evidence is presented. This is hardly the first time du has been fooled and the retractions are never as loud as the initial outcry
pipi_k
(21,020 posts)I'm such a freaking cynic when it comes to people posting in foaming outrage here over some horror story or another.
anyone suspecting that there might be something more to the story other than what it says (always from the victim's POV) is accused of being...well...someone pretty nasty.
And yeah, once the whole story comes out, there's hardly ever an apology or retractions. And the really sad thing? The gullible keep getting fooled, time and time again.
Don't wait for further evidence...nooooo!!! Just jump right in there with the outrage because, damn, doesn't it feel great to be a champion for the Victims of the world, even if there's no real proof they're even victims at all.
IronLionZion
(45,162 posts)As if working in fast food wasn't punishment enough.
I think both of this girl's grandparents need to be locked up or punished somehow. Little Victoria deserves a better family than these assholes.
ChazII
(6,198 posts)to several of those in my neurofibromatosis family. It is sad what this grandmother did and as others have already stated makes it difficult for those who have a legitimate case.
For those who think her face is not scary, bravo to you for your open mind. However, this happened to my son back when he was seven.