Sizzler Manager Allegedly Assaulted Gay Diner, Called Her A "Fucking Dyke"
LatestA Sizzler restaurant in Forest Hills, Queens —yes, Sizzler is still around— is being slapped with a discrimination lawsuit after patron Liza Friedlander’s “relaxing, enjoyable brunch” turned into “a horrifying ordeal of discrimination, violence and degradation”:
After paying, Friedlander served herself from the buffet. As Friedlander was walking back toward her table to join her companions, a Sizzler manager aggressively approached her. In front of other restaurant patrons, the manager began yelling at Friedlander, accusing her of not paying for the breakfast buffet. He violently shoved Friedlander in the chest, causing her to fall backward, and kicked her in the legs while yelling for her to get out of the Sizzler and calling her a “fucking dyke.”
The Sizzler dining room quickly devolved into a threatening scene when patrons began terrorizing Ms. Friedlander, with Sizzler patrons screaming at her, spewing homophobic and hate-filled epithets. A male diner began yelling at Friedlander, calling her a “he-she freak” and demanding that she leave the restaurant. Another man threatened to take Ms. Friedlander outside and sexually assault her, threatening that he would show her “what a dick is.” The man then threw objects at Friedlander. Finally, after police arrived, a battered Friedlander was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
Sizzler manager Edgar Orellana denies he ever touched Friedlander, saying “I’m Hispanic. I respect people of all ethnicities, races or sexuality. I’m here to work, not hurt anyone,” and that Friedlander simply became upset once he told her brunch had ended.