'We would never leave a message like that': Family accused of leaving gay waitress offensive note instead of a tip claim they've been set up... and can prove it

  • Dayna Morales said she was hurt by how the couple, with two small children, treated her at Gallop Asian Bistro in Bridgewater, New Jersey
  • She sent the receipt to Have A Gay Day and LGBT Facebook Group posted it online, where it garnered hundreds of supportive comments
  • She claims after commenting on her short hair, the mother wrote on the $93.55 check, 'Sorry, I cannot tip because I do not agree with your lifestyle and the way you live your life'
  • But the couple have told NBCNewYork.com that they never wrote a note and DID tip her $18
  • They have branded the whole thing a hoax and say they aren't in anyway homophobic

By Francesca Infante

PUBLISHED: 07:33 EST, 26 November 2013 | UPDATED: 15:13 EST, 26 November 2013

The family at the centre of a row over a note left to gay waitress on receipt for a meal have hit back claiming the whole episode is a hoax.

Dayna Morales, a former marine, hit headlines last week when a picture of a receipt she allegedly received from a family at the Gallop Asian Bistro in Bridgewater, saying they didn't 'agree with her lifestyle' was posted online and went viral.

On it she claimed the customer had written: 'Sorry, I cannot tip because I do not agree with your lifestyle and the way you live your life.'

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Proof? The controversial receipt (left) shows exactly the same price, time and date of the meal as the family's copy (right) - but does not have the $18 tip the family swear they left bringing the total to $111.55

Proof? The controversial receipt (left) shows exactly the same price, time and date of the meal as the family's copy (right) - but does not have the $18 tip the family swear they left bringing the total to $111.55

Hoax: The family at the center of the controversy of whether or not they tipped a gay waitress at a New Jersey restaurant have denied they are bigoted and more importantly can prove they did tip the waitress

Hoax: The family at the center of the controversy of whether or not they tipped a gay waitress at a New Jersey restaurant have denied they are bigoted and more importantly can prove they did tip the waitress

Confirmation: This credit card statement the family possess proves that they paid a tip and their bill came to a total of $111.55 as shown on their receipt and that something has gone wrong at the New Jersey restaurant

Confirmation: This credit card statement the family possess proves that they paid a tip and their bill came to a total of $111.55 as shown on their receipt and that something has gone wrong at the New Jersey restaurant

Bemused: Morales denied any impropriety at all - claiming that someone had written that note and not provided her with a tip and that the handwriting was not hers - while the father of the family denies any inference of homophobia
Bemused: Morales denied any impropriety at all - claiming that someone had written that note and not provided her with a tip and that the handwriting was not hers - while the father of the family denies any inference of homophobia

Bemused: Morales denied any impropriety at all - claiming that someone had written that note and not provided her with a tip and that the handwriting was not hers - while the father of the family denies any inference of homophobia

Miss Morales said she felt offended and upset by the comment branding the couple 'ignorant' and received thousands of messages of support online.

But now a New Jersey family have come forward claiming to be the customers involved and producing a receipt printed at the same time on the same date, for the same amount, except with an $18 tip.

 

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They contacted NBCNewYork.com after seeing news reports of Miss Morales' story and claim the whole thing is hoax designed to provoke reaction.

To prove their point they also produced a Visa bill, which indicated their card was charged for the $93.55 meal plus the tip, for a total of $111.55.

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Upset: Dayna Morales, pictured left while a marine and right, said she was offended and hurt by how the couple, with two small children, treated her while she served them at Gallop Asian Bistro in Breakwater Wednesday

The husband said far from being homophobic he actually refused to vote for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie because the governor opposes same-sex marriage.

'Never would a message like that come from us,' he protested.

Morales announced last week she would donate thousands of dollars in gratuities from supporters to the Wounded Warrior Project.

But the wife countered this gesture of apparent good will saying: ' I just felt like people have a right to know that - it's fine if people want to donate to her or to the Wounded Warriors but they're doing it under a false pretense.  

The restaurant reportedly could not produce the original receipt nor explain why the family was charged for the tip amount for the meal last Wednesday.

Suspicious: A reporter from NBC New York went to confront the owners of the restaurant as to why their customer was billed - including their tip - but their gay waitress received an abusive message and no tip

Suspicious: A reporter from NBC New York went to confront the owners of the restaurant as to why their customer was billed - including their tip - but their gay waitress received an abusive message and no tip

It told the station it was aware of the couple's claims and that an internal investigation is ongoing.

Morales claimed that she felt judged by the family began as soon as she introduced herself.

The mother, shocked by her short hair, allegedly exclaimed, 'Oh, I thought you were gonna say your name is Dan! You sure surprised us!'

She sent the receipt for the meal to Have A Gay Day and the LGBT Facebook Group posted it online, where it garnered hundreds of supportive comments.

In an email at the time Morales said she was upset she'd served in the marines to protect such ignorant Americans and was concerned about the example the couple were setting for their children.

Still working: Morales is still serving tables at the New Jersey restaurant and has claimed that she will still donate all the money given to her in support to the Wounded Warriors charity

Still working: Morales is still serving tables at the New Jersey restaurant and has claimed that she will still donate all the money given to her in support to the Wounded Warriors charity

'Never in a million years did I think this would happen,' she told Have A Gay Day.

'I am THOROUGHLY offended, mad, p***ed off and hurt that THIS is what her kids will grow up learning and that I served in the Marines to keep ignorant people like them free.

'Sorry lady but I don't agree with YOUR lifestyle and the way you're raising your kids but you didn't see me throwing that in your face and giving you shitty service.'

Morales' story was met with an outpouring of support online, with a heterosexual Facebook user commenting, 'as a member of the heterosexual community, I beg your forgiveness for these ignorant people' and another wrote 'I hope those parents get publicly humiliated enough to never leave their house again! I feel sorry for their kids.'

Morales later responded that it took every fiber of her being not to spit in the couple's food, but her faith in humanity was now restored.

'You all have put the BIGGEST smile on my face tonight and made me realize that there are more good people in the world than bad,' she wrote.

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The drive by media will not report this.

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All else aside: I waitressed for six years, serving some of the worst people I've ever come in contact with, and to spit in their food NEVER crossed my mind. For it to "take every fiber" of one's being to resist is disgusting and pathetic.

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Yeah, yeah, and they can forge a visa receipt too. Wake up, it is easy to verify the visa receipt!

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The numbers on the receipts are written by two different people, something is very shady here.

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The customer copy is BLANK, you could write in anything you want and anytime, the timestamp proves NOTHING. Also, I work in customer service and I have never EVER seen a customer actually fill out their customer copy!

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I'm not surprised. With all the legitimate times a waitress/waiter has been discriminated against there was bound to be an illegitimate case sooner or later. The family provided a credit (Visa) bill which proved that they did indeed leave a tip.

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I never tip anybody and I don't even understand why it exists. Do you tip the pilot of your plane? Do you tip the nice lady who helped you choose some clothes and put them in a bag for you? Do you tip your doctor? No, so why do you have to give Money to a perfect stranger just because they were doing what they are paid to do? Aren't they paid enough? Their problema! Probably the lady in the shop isn't either and your doctor might think the same thing! Use your heads and you will see how ridiculous this is! Or maybe the next time you will feel like tipping your bus driver? After all he doesn't earn that much and he took you from A to B! You do tip your cab driver, don't you?

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But the MERCHANT copy does not show the tip, nevermind the customer copy. Odd.

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Reminds me of the two lesbians in CO that spray painted "Kill Gays" on their outside wall and told the police that the neighbors did it. They tested positive for spray paint and refused a lie detector test. Maybe the "good" ex-marine will be willing to clear her name by taking a lie detector test. BTW, the DM took the very best pictures of her off her FB page.....the rest....not so classy. There have been several similar cases lately and it appears all were looking for attention.

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They produced their Visa bill which showed they had left the $18 tip.

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