Woman who berated veteran at restaurant says she is being harassed

‘No, actually I don’t regret how vocal I was’

A woman captured in a viral video screaming at a veteran who brought his service dog to a restaurant says she’s being harassed because of the encounter.

Ciara Miller, the woman in the now-infamous video, said the veteran’s PTSD service dog, a Great Dane, was too close to her table and made eating uncomfortable.

“The dog’s body was about the same height as the table,” Miller told WTXF-TV. “Basically, the butt was sitting in front of me at the table.”

Miller says the incident occurred last week at Kathy’s Crab House in Delaware City, where she was dining with her family.

She referred to the dog as “nasty” and “disgusting” in the video, even though it was clearly identified as a service dog.

“I’m not going to keep my voice to myself,” Miller can be heard saying in the recording. “I’m gonna voice it just like I did, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

She also screamed at an employee and calls one restaurant patron a “w****” and another a “b****.”

Miller alleged that after the heated exchange, an employee of the restaurant and others screamed racial epithets at her.

“Six or 7 people yelling out, (expletive) you, get that (expletive) out of here, making derogatory racial statements.”

The video, which has been viewed nearly 1.5 million times as of Sunday, does not contain any statements about race.

Miller did acknowledge to the television station that she lamented how “vocal” she was.

“No, actually I don’t regret how vocal I was. I reacted based on the way they reacted to me.”

Customers can be seen in the video defending the veteran with the service dog, who has been identified as retired U.S. Air National Guard Master Sgt. Bill Austin.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal law, requires that restaurants allow service animals.

We would like to express at this time how sorry we are over the embarrassing turn of events that occurred earlier this…

Posted by Kathy's Crab House & Family Restaurant on Wednesday, September 20, 2017

 

The television station asked the restaurant whether any employees uttered racial slurs. Restaurant management declined comment but did announce that the eatery would hold a fundraiser for veterans.

[Feature Photo: YouTube Screenshot]