Midwest woman seeks protective order against cafe that kicked her out for saying sight of Muslim waitress, 15, in hijab ‘scared her’
A woman in Noblesville, Indiana, is seeking a protective order against the manager of an independent cafe after she was asked to leave for saying the sight of a 15-year-old waitress wearing a hijab had 'scared' her. Michelle Wallpe, 49, clashed with Uptown Cafe manager Alex Bevins, 37, on 22 August, in a row that began in the cafe, spread onto social media and has now reached the courts. The dispute has drawn wider attention as an example of tensions around Islamophobia and how businesses respond to discriminatory remarks made towards young staff.
Wallpe said she asked the teenage server, named Aisha, whether the cafe was 'run by Muslims', explaining in a now-deleted video that the hijab had given her a 'bad vibe' and 'scared' her. Bevins said she banned Wallpe over the 'racist' comments and received strong community support for Aisha, while Wallpe's Facebook video reportedly drew about 9,000 views and 100 largely negative comments within hours. Wallpe has since filed a court petition claiming Bevins yelled at her, exploited her fears and shared an image of her wearing a hijab at her Catholic church, calling the response 'unprofessional'.
In short
- Woman ejected from cafe over remarks about a Muslim teen waitress's hijab
- Manager says she banned the customer for 'racist' comments
- Customer has filed for a protective order, court documents show
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The cafe can reasonably argue that it had a duty to protect a teenage employee from comments that singled her out because of her religious clothing, and that asking the customer to leave set a clear standard of respectful treatment. A manager may also judge that public support for the young worker was important when the incident had spread online.
The case against
Wallpe can reasonably argue that even an offensive or misguided remark should be addressed proportionately, and that a business manager should not respond in ways that feel intimidating or expose a customer to public shaming. If her account of being yelled at and having her image shared is accurate, she may see the protective-order petition as a way to seek boundaries and accountability.
Explained simply
A hijab is a head covering worn by some Muslim women and girls as part of their religious practice. The dispute began at Uptown Cafe in Noblesville, Indiana, where a 15-year-old waitress wore one while serving Michelle Wallpe.
The cafe’s manager, Alex Bevins, asked Wallpe to leave after she said the waitress’s appearance had frightened her. Wallpe later sought a protective order against Bevins, and the disagreement became a public discussion about how businesses respond to remarks about religion and the treatment of young staff.