Overview
- The allegation began as a screenshot that circulated widely online between Aug. 23 and Aug. 25 claiming a private Facebook group of servers planned to lick, touch or spit on food served to Black customers.
- Texas Roadhouse issued firm denials, said its internal review found no proof of tampering, and hired a third-party firm to try to locate the original post and its author.
- Independent fact-checkers and reporters found no verifiable evidence linking any named employee or specific restaurant to the claim and reported that some similarly named 'White and proud' groups appear to be satirical or parody pages.
- Several social-media users who helped amplify the story later retracted or apologized, but boycott calls and reputational damage have continued despite the lack of confirmed incidents.
- Experts and reporters note that screenshots from private or closed Facebook groups are hard to verify quickly, which can let damaging claims spread widely before their provenance is established.