How the Internet Hunted Down the Domino's Employees Who Terrorized America

Summary

In 2009, two Domino's employees created a viral prank video showing food contamination at a restaurant. The videos, initially uploaded online, sparked outrage and led to the employees' arrests and felony charges for food contamination. Domino's swiftly fired them, shut down the store, and vowed stricter practices to rebuild trust. The video series, later removed, was difficult to track down but was eventually archived thanks to the efforts of internet users. Michael and Christy faced legal consequences, with Michael serving jail time and Christy receiving probation and community service. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangerous consequences of pranks in the food industry.

Takeaways

• 😀 Employees filmed themselves contaminating food, leading to viral videos that caused major public outrage.
• 😀 Domino's responded quickly by firing the employees, issuing arrest warrants, and temporarily shutting down the store.
• 😀 The company promised stricter hiring practices and more frequent audits to restore public trust.
• 😀 Despite sanitizing the store under health department supervision, the location closed for good due to irreversible reputational damage.
• 😀 The videos were initially pulled from YouTube after Christy's consent, but efforts to find and archive them continued.
• 😀 Online users, including Cyrosan and Colin, played a key role in locating and re-uploading the videos through innovative search techniques.
• 😀 Some videos were recovered from the Internet Archive, though many were in outdated formats like Flash, requiring specialized tools to access them.
• 😀 The employees, Michael and Christy, were charged with food contamination and faced felony charges, leading to legal consequences.
• 😀 Michael was sentenced to 6 months in jail, probation, and a $1,000 court fee, while Christy received a lesser sentence with probation and community service.
• 😀 Christy had a prior criminal record, which further damaged her case, and she was barred from working in food-related jobs or speaking publicly about the case.
• 😀 The incident serves as a cautionary tale, showing that seemingly harmless pranks can have severe consequences, including emotional harm and legal repercussions.

Q & A

What was the nature of the incident involving Domino's in 2009?

The incident involved two employees, Michael and Christy, who posted videos of themselves contaminating food at a Domino's restaurant. The videos went viral, causing significant damage to the brand's reputation, even though no contaminated food was actually served to customers.

Why did Domino's take such swift action after the videos were posted?

Domino's took immediate action to fire the employees, issue felony warrants for their arrest, and shut down the store to sanitize it. They emphasized their commitment to food safety and promised to implement stricter hiring practices and more frequent audits to regain public trust.

What was the significance of Domino's releasing a video response?

Releasing a video rather than a written statement was likely an attempt by Domino's to make their apology more personal and to assure the public that they were taking the matter seriously.

What was the outcome of the franchise location after the scandal?

The franchise location, which was involved in the incident, closed its doors for good by September 2009 due to the severe damage to its reputation.

Why were the videos initially removed from YouTube?

The videos were removed after they garnered over 2 million views. Domino's worked with YouTube to have them taken down, but only after Christy, the original uploader, gave her consent.

How did people manage to find and archive the videos after they were removed?

The search for the videos became a 'digital scavenger hunt.' A YouTuber named Cyrosan, along with other internet users like Colin and Eustinian, employed creative techniques, including specialized search methods and using the Internet Archive, to find and preserve the videos.

What were the legal consequences for Michael and Christy?

Michael faced six months in jail, two years of supervised probation, and a $1,000 court fee. Christy, with a prior criminal record, received a more lenient sentence of 45 days in jail, 18 months probation, and 200 hours of community service, along with attorney fees and restrictions on working in food-related jobs.

What charges were Michael and Christy faced with?

Michael and Christy were charged with felony food contamination. Although both denied that contaminated food had been served to customers, the franchise owner filed a criminal complaint against them.

What was Christy's prior criminal record, and how did it affect her case?

Christy had a prior criminal record that included misdemeanor and theft charges. This negatively impacted her case, and despite not being the primary perpetrator, she faced severe legal consequences.

What lessons can be learned from this incident?

The incident highlights the potential dangers of pranks, even those that seem harmless. It shows that such actions can cause significant emotional distress and legal consequences, as well as harm the reputation of a company or brand.