Gay man allegedly assaulted by Shake Shack staff after kiss

A gay man was allegedly attacked by members of Shake Shack staff in Washington DC, after he kissed his boyfriend, having ordered some food.

Christian Dingus, 28, has accused the fast-food chain’s employees of assault and discrimination outside a branch of the restaurant at Dupont Circle on Saturday (17 August).

He told NBC News that after the kiss: “A worker said: ‘You can’t be doing that here, you can’t do that type of stuff’.”

A heated argument ensued and the couple were told to leave the restaurant, Dingus claimed. Other employees then joined in and began arguing with them, he went on to allege.

“One of the men, pretty forcefully, pushed me out of the way on my shoulder,” he said. “That kind of just sparked the rest of them. They all started attacking me, dragging me back through the floor and continuously punching me in my head.”

A clip of the alleged assault, taken by another customer, was shared by NBC news and shows the group, whom Dingus claims were staff members, punching an individual in the head.

“There was a desire to be violent towards me,” Dingus said. “I think it’s very evident in that film.”

The police said they were investigating the case as an assault. They gave no indication as to whether it was being seen as a hate crime although an anti-gay motivation is being looked into.

A Shake Shack spokesperson told the media that the company was “aware of the incident” and “taking it very seriously”.