When a group of 11 female book-club members embarked California’s Napa Valley Wine Train for some literary chatting and R & R, they had no idea of the social-media frenzy that was soon to come.
One of the women, Lisa Johnson, believes that racial prejudice led to their party—comprised of 10 black and one white woman—being thrown off of the Wine Train in St. Helena for laughing and talking too loud. At one point, Johnson claims a female passenger told the book club that “this isn’t a bar.”
While the 47-year-old Johnson described the incident as “humiliating,” Kira Devitt, the Wine Train’s spokesperson, told the Napa Valley Register that at least three patrons complained about the group’s noise level at several points in the trip, and that they were politely told to lower their tone. However, she admitted that ejections from the train are not a common occurrence.
“If guests are being severely disruptive, that’s when we discuss whether they should be removed,” Devitt said. “We don’t make that judgment unless we receive a complaint from the people around them.”
Though the company claimed the reason for the women’s expulsion was their loud laughing and chatter, Johnson said their group — which included an 83-year-old grandmother—may have been “rambunctious” at times, but were not “obnoxious or intoxicated,” SF Gate reported.
“The train is set up to be with your friends, to drink wine and have a good time,” Johnson said. “We were thinking, ‘Who are we offending?’”
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The Wine Train, which holds three-hour journeys through the vineyards and conducts wine tours and tastings, said that though there were no arrests, St. Helena officers were called because the railroad police were not available.
“We wanted to get off through the exit door of the train (car) but were told we had to go through all the other cars,” Johnson told the Napa Valley Register. “We were paraded; 10 African-American women and one white woman, being paraded through the cars with four police officers outside.”
While this conflict didn’t require any handcuffs, the women were then put on a van and sent back to Napa. Johnson claimed they were given full refunds.
The company originally took to Facebook to respond to growing media coverage surrounding the incident. Though the post was swiftly deleted, Johnson screencapped and reproduced their comments on her account.
Picture of book club prior to being thrown off train,via Facebook
“Following verbal and physical abuse toward other guests and staff, it was necessary to get our police involved,” the post reportedly read. “Many groups come on board and celebrate. When those celebrations impact our other guests, we do intervene.”
Johnson remained unmoved by the company’s statement. A self-proclaimed social media addict, Johnson hopped back on Facebook to express her frustration with the Wine Train’s response.
“I’ve slept and I’m no less angry and humiliated this morning than yesterday. WE were paying customers too,” she wrote. “They paraded us through 6 cars on display in front of the other guests to waiting police like we were criminals. Then they made a written public statement on social media that we verbally and physically abused other guest and staff…one word. UNACCEPTABLE! This can NEVER happen to anyone else ever again…”
Picked up by several publications—including the New York Times—many have since weighed in on the topic, offering opinions on the Wine Train debacle and on racism in general. It’s reportedly even prompted a #LaughingWhileBlack Twitter hashtag.
One Yelp user, “Danielle S.,” claimed to witness the incident and supported Johnson’s account of the story: “Definitely not an organization I would recommend or ever support again. I watched in disbelief as staff harassed a group of people who were merely drinking wine and laughing,” she wrote.
“I’d like to think it wasn’t a racially motivated act, but given the fact that other, non-black guests were behaving in the same way and not removed, I can only conclude that it was discrimination.”
In light of the massive attention the incident has gotten on social media and elsewhere, Devitt claimed The Napa Valley Wine Train management is investigating whether the staff acted within protocol when handling the book club.
Johnson and her group are still considering filing a lawsuit or a civil rights complaint against the company.
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Photo:
Lisa Johnson/Facebook
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