Saltgrass Steakhouse in Odessa, Texas, banned a customer who supposedly left a racist note on a receipt for server Khalil Cavil. The customer circled Cavil’s name and allegedly wrote, “We don’t tip terrorist.”

The story took off on social media, but now the restaurant says Cavil FAKED the racist note.

From WUSA9:

“After further investigation, we have learned that our employee fabricated the entire story,” Terry Turney, COO of Saltgrass Steak House, said in a statement. “The customer has been contacted and invited back to our restaurant to dine on us. Racism of any form is intolerable, and we will always act swiftly should it occur in any of our establishments. Falsely accusing someone of racism is equaling disturbing,” Turney’s statement read.

Cavil admitted to The Odessa American that he lied to the publication about the note and apologized to the reporter of the original story “because I did lie to you.”

Cavil refused to explain to the paper why he did it, insisting he had no explanation and that he “made a mistake” and “[T]here is no excuse for what I did.”

He provided an explanation when he posted the receipt online. From CBS News:

On Wednesday, Cavil posted a follow-up message, thanking his family and members of the public for standing by him and for the monetary donations sent his way. “I want to make it very clear that this was never about the tip nor the money,” Cavil wrote. “It was about igniting conversations because I believe real change happens when we start talking about the issue and acknowledging its there.” Cavil says he is taking all the funds and donating them to the missionary work through his church. “Let’s make the enemy pay by helping other people establish the Kingdom of God here on earth,” he wrote.

Cavil has started to return the money he received after his story went viral.

There have been way too many racist, hate crime hoaxes. Here are just a few that we have covered:

[Featured image via Twitter]



