A Massachusetts apple-picking farm phoned the police over a Black family that the farm accused of stealing six apples.
The parents, Reverend Manika Bowman and Jeff Myers, shared a blog post about their Labor Day experience at Connors Farm in Danvers, Massachusetts. The couple said they spent over $100 on “admission, fruit picking,” and more during their apple-picking excursion.
Myers and Bowman noted that they had six extra apples that did not fit into their prepaid apple-picking bag that their children had added without their knowledge. They said they moved the six apples out of the prepaid bag and into their child’s stroller – the couple planned to bring the apples to the farm store and pay a surcharge for the extra apples.
Instead, the farm called the police. The couple said security guards approached their family and searched their bags for any concealed fruit – to no avail. Myers and Bowman said that police accused them of “playing the race card” when explaining what went down.
“Our family did not get the apple cider donuts we’d been looking forward to all day at Connors Farm in Danvers this Labor Day,” Bowman and Myers wrote. “What we did get at Connors Farm was a traumatic experience of being falsely accused of stealing apples.”
Bowman and Myers issued three requests for the farm:
- A written apology from the owners
- That the ~$100 spent by the couple at the farm is donated to a charity
- A promise from the farm owners and the Danvers Police Department to institute diversity training for its employees
Connor’s Farm issued a public apology on Thursday and agreed to require diversity training for its employees, but did not agree to donate any of its earnings to charity.
“We regret the incident that happened this past weekend. We have extended our personal apology to the family,” the farm wrote in a Facebook post. “We do our best to train our employees to handle all customer issues with courtesy and respect at all times. We are taking further steps to ensure that staff will undergo diversity, equity and inclusion training. Please know that everybody is welcome on our farm.”
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Original Articles: A Massachusetts farm called the police on a Black family it thought stole 6 apples (msn.com)
It doesn’t matter what race any of the people involved in this fracas are: If someone places an overage of six apples in a baby stroller (“secreted” the apples in the stroller?) and says later they “intended” to pay for them, it becomes a question of whom you believe. There’s no way it can proved the family intended to purchase the apples anymore than there is a way to prove the family intended to steal them. The farm acted prematurely; had the farm waited to see if the apples were, indeed, presented for payment or not, the “big question “ wouldn’t be hanging in the air. In my neck of the woods ANYone perceived to be taking items (six or six thousand) will be stopped and questioned wether they’re pink, purple or orange polka-dotted. Don’t know about Massachusetts, though; those people are so weird they still brag about the Kennedys living there!
It doesn’t matter what race any of the people involved in this fracas are: If someone places an overage of six apples in a baby stroller (“secreted” the apples in the stroller?) and says later they “intended” to pay for them, it becomes a question of whom you believe. There’s no way it can proved the family intended to purchase the apples anymore than there is a way to prove the family intended to steal them. The farm acted prematurely; had the farm waited to see if the apples were, indeed, presented for payment or not, the “big question “ wouldn’t be hanging in the air. In my neck of the woods ANYone perceived to be taking items (six or six thousand) will be stopped and questioned wether they’re pink, purple or orange polka-dotted. Don’t know about Massachusetts, though; those people are so weird they still brag about the Kennedys living there!
Diversity training is bs and this wasn’t because of race. Why is it anytime a black person is accused of something the person who accused them is always racist? Black people can be liars and criminals just like other races so spare me your bs diversity training.
If it were a white person it would not have said “Farm called cops on “WHITE” family accused of steeling apples.
If the black people were smart and many are they would run from the democrat party, but those handouts are sure nice too, don’t even have to work anymore for generations unless they want out of poverty that is. Like Maxine Waters said it’s racist to make Black people work.
I agree that the race of those involved is immaterial. Stealing is stealing however it is accomplished over early or buy more devious means. However, the loss of six apples is a rather petty issue on the part of an apple orchard. I am sure that customers eat, damage and destroy more than six apples a day. Not to count the thousands of pounds of apples that drop on the ground, lay there and rot. I feel the P orchard suffered serious damage to their public image by being so petty.
They lied, they were stealing or else they would have out them back!
And stop with the race card nonsense-it is old news!
They stole the apples, didn’t spend a dime at the farm and should be in jail
They spent 100 dollars for an apple picking excursion.
If it were a white person it would not have said “Farm called cops on “WHITE” family accused of steeling apples.
If the black people were smart and many are they would run from the democrat party, but those handouts are sure nice too, don’t even have to work anymore for generations unless they want out of poverty that is. Like Maxine Waters said it’s racist to make Black people work.
That’s Massachusetts for you. We just call them Massholes–six apples, Jesus!!!!