McDonald’s CEO apologises for ‘racist’ texts about child shooting deaths

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski has apologised for sending an offensive text message about the shooting deaths of two children in Chicago.

Mr Kempczinski came under fire last week after his text exchange with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was unearthed by a city activist under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

In a message to Ms Lightfoot on 19 April, the executive appeared to blame the shootings of seven-year-old Jaslyn Adams and 13-year-old Adam Toledo on their parents.

“P.s. tragic shootings in last week, both at our restaurant yesterday and with Adam Toldeo [sic],” he wrote. “With both, the parents failed those kids which I know is something you can’t say. Even harder to fix.”

Ms Lightfoot, who had visited the McDonald’s headquarters earlier in the day, responded: “Thanks, Chris. Great to see you in person. Such a great work space, and your folks were terrific. I said to Joe I would be happy reach [sic] out to the operator to offer support. He and his team members have got to be traumatised. Terrible tragedy. Thanks again, Chris. MLL.”

Mr Kempczinski acknowledged the messages in an email to staff on Friday, admitting his comments “were wrong – plain and simple”, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“I am learning from this,” he wrote. “I believe that starts with more listening and learning from more people whose life experiences are different from my own.”

He went on to explain that when he wrote the text messages he was thinking through the lens of a parent.

“But I have not walked in the shoes of Adam’s or Jaslyn’s family and so many others who are facing a very different reality. Not taking the time to think about this from their viewpoint was wrong, and lacked the empathy and compassion I feel for these families. This is a lesson that I will carry with me,” he wrote.

Toledo, a Mexican American teenager, was shot dead by a police officer in Chicago on 29 March, while Adams, a young Black girl, was shot in her car while she was waiting with her father at a McDonald’s drive through in Chicago.

Mr Kempczinski doubled down on his apology in a video message to employees, operators and suppliers on Saturday.

“Those comments were wrong, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry I let you down. And I let myself down,” he said.

“I have, through my background, a very narrow world view. My comments to Mayor Lightfoot revealed that ignorance.”

His words of remorse came after McDonald’s employees and activists penned an open letter to him, in which they said the text messages are inherently racist and expose the company’s ecosystem.

“It’s clear to us you’re the one who has failed here. Your text message was ignorant, racist and unacceptable coming from anyone, let alone the CEO of McDonald’s, a company that spends big to market to communities of color and purports to stand with Black lives,” the letter said.

Ms Lightfoot appeared to try to distance herself from the controversy in a statement through her office on Monday.

“As the Mayor has said previously, families do everything they can – moms, dads, grandparents – to love and support their children, and tragedies can still happen. Victim shaming has no place in this conversation,” the statement read.