Fundraiser for white Cinnabon worker fired over viral incident with Somalis in Minnesota approaches $100K

A Wisconsin Cinnabon employee who lost her job after a filmed confrontation with a Somali couple is now pulling in major cash online, with a GiveSendGo campaign shooting past $54,000 by Sunday afternoon and continuing to climb.

The fundraiser, Stand With Crystal, popped up soon after the clip spread widely on social platforms. Donors have been piling in despite Cinnabon announcing that the Ashwaubenon franchise immediately terminated her over the incident.

"Meet Crystal: hardworking White mom doing her job at Cinnabon," the fundraiser reads. "Two Somali customers decide to make her shift hell with intimidation. Instead of banning the offenders and backing their employee, Cinnabon fires Crystal to keep the nons happy. We’re not letting this slide. Funds go to making sure Crystal lands on her feet after this betrayal. No White person should lose their job for refusing to be harassed by Somalians."

The company said in a statement posted to X that the worker’s conduct “does not reflect our values or the welcoming experience every guest deserves.”

The footage, recorded by the couple, shows the employee mocking the woman’s hijab before escalating into racial slurs. At one point, she used the n-word and said she was racist, continuing to berate the pair as they moved to exit the store.

The timing comes amid renewed national debate over Somali communities following recent comments from President Donald Trump and senior administration officials. Trump has criticized Minnesota’s handling of fraud cases tied to Somali-led nonprofits, noting that some defendants diverted state funds to Somalia and, in a few instances, to Al-Shabaab.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey fired back at Trump’s remarks, saying “he’s wrong, and we want them here,” while praising Somali residents for contributing to the city’s economy and culture.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also answered Trump after the president called him “retarded” in a Truth Social post criticizing crime linked to immigrants. Walz told NBC’s Meet the Press the phrasing was “damaging” and accused Trump of “normalizing hateful behavior.”