Racial slur on Oak Creek car dealership’s oil change sticker

The Brief

• A woman said she went for an oil change in Oak Creek and became a victim of racism.

• The N-word was printed on a sticker she received. A protest outside the dealership took place Saturday, and her attorney is calling for people to boycott the dealership.

• The dealership, Kunes Buick GMC, said the employee was immediately fired.

OAK CREEK, Wis. – A Milwaukee County woman said she went for an oil change at an Oak Creek car dealership and, sadly, became a victim of racism. On Saturday, she and supporters protested outside.

Racial slur

The backstory

“It was the N-word,” said Makayla Starks. “When I first saw the sticker, I cried – immediately – I just sat there in my car and cried.”

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Starks never expected to see the word glued to her windshield after her vehicle was serviced at the Kunes Buick GMC in Oak Creek.

Starks told FOX6 News she purchased her vehicle from the dealership last fall. In early January, she went in for a complimentary oil change. Shortly after, she was told there was a problem.

“While I was at work, the employees from Kunes started contacting me, and they were insisting that there was a tool in my vehicle and they were sending an employee out to retrieve the tool,” she said. “I told them there was no tool, and they were not welcomed on my property.”

From there, Starks said she received calls – some from blocked numbers. She eventually got a message alerting her to check her sticker as another person, who she believes made the sticker, arrived at her home.

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“I knew it was a lie because one of their employees told me it was a lie,” she said.

Starks also said her car was damaged, and she can’t access her safety features. Her vehicle also still notifies her that she’s in need of an oil change.

Kunes’ response

The other side

Kunes told FOX6 the employee responsible was immediately fired. In a since-deleted Facebook post, Kunes said in part: “It was supposed to be a joke to a co-worker and the individual did not realize it would print but regardless of intentions the message was incredibly offensive.”

Also on Saturday, the Kunes team released the following statement:

“We are deeply disturbed and saddened by the incident that has come to light involving one of our employees and a customer, her sense of safety and dignity. We want to be unequivocal: this behavior and the hateful sentiment it implies are absolutely against our values as a company. There is no place for racism or discrimination within our dealership or community.

“Upon learning of these allegations we took immediate action. The employee known to be involved has been terminated, effective immediately.

“We have been in contact with this customer over the last month to offer our apologies and have offered her credits for future service at other locations.

“This incident stands in stark contrast to who we are as a company. We recognize the seriousness of this matter and accept our responsibility to ensure a safe, welcoming environment for every person who walks through our doors. While words are important, we know that real change comes from action, and we are fully committed to demonstrating our values through measurable steps. We are moving forward addressing this with our entire staff, reinforcing our corporate values.”

Dealership protest

What they’re saying

Starks along with her supporters protested outside the dealership on Saturday. Her fiancé told FOX6 that, despite not filing a report, they got a visit from police on Friday.

“Oak Creek PD drove all the way from Oak Creek to West Allis last night to pound on our door, and I thought that was kind of absurd,” said Joey Koepp.

In a statement to FOX6 News, the Oak Creek Police Department said: “We cannot discuss open and ongoing investigations. However, it is our practice to make contact with those who are, or believed to be, victims in incidents in our community, that includes in person contact.”

William Sulton is Starks’ attorney. He wants people to boycott the dealership.

“We can’t be putting stickers with the N-word on it. That is just a thousand percent wrong,” he said. “Kunes is vicariously liable for misconduct of its employees.”

Starks said she wants to see policies and procedures in place so it never happens to anyone else. She also wants to see everyone involved fired or disciplined, and she wants the names of those employees.

The Source

Information in this report is from FOX6 News interviews.