Three Texas women who were cited in a vaccine-related altercation at a New York City restaurant last week allege racial slurs were used against them prior to the fight, their lawyers said Monday.
The ugly confrontation at Carmine’s Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan unfolded on Thursday eveningand involved at least one hostess and customers Kaeita Rankin, 44, her niece Tyonnie Rankin, 21, and friend Sally Lewis, 49, officials said.
It was widely reported the encounter was sparked by questions over the women having to show proof of vaccination, which is required to dine inside New York City restaurants.
But all three women showed vaccine proof and had been seated before trouble began, lawyers for the defendants and a spokesman for the restaurant agreed.
The conflict happened when they were joined a little later by three men.
A Carmine’s spokesman said all three men had failed to provide any proof of vaccination. Lawyers for the women said all three had vaccine cards, but two didn’t have identification also needed to be allowed inside.
All six people were about to leave Carmine’s before the manager intervened and allowed all them to dine, said Dallas-based attorney Justin Moore, who represents Kaeita Rankin, and New York criminal defense lawyer Javier Solano, who represents all three women.
The confrontation happened as the party was re-entering Carmine’s, the women’s lawyers said.
“This hostess was exhibiting some hostile aggression toward the three women, separate from this vaccine narrative that’s been put out to the public,” Moore told NBC News on Monday.
“A racial slur was uttered numerous times by the hostess and one of the women claims the hostess called her a monkey.”
A restaurant spokeswoman disputed that the three men were being allowed to enter, without all the necessary IDs and vaccination.
The representative also insisted that there was no racial slur uttered by any of the three hosts working that night — a Black woman, an Asian American woman and a Latina.
“Three female guests in the party who had shown proof of vaccination and been welcomed into the restaurant without issue then launched an entirely unprovoked, brutal attack on our hosts, one of whom continues to suffer from a concussion,” according to a restaurant statement.
“None of the attackers offered any reason for their attack. None of the hosts — all of whom are people of color — uttered a racial slur. “
All three of the women were given a desk appearance ticket for misdemeanor assault in the third degree and must face a judge in New York City next month.
Their defense lawyer hopes the case is dismissed before then.
“I don’t expect anything to come of it, ” Solano said. “I really do hope that cooler heads prevail, that the District Attorney’s Office has an opportunity to investigate this case before (the next court date) and that they dismiss the case.”