Brouhaha in Boucherville After Waitress Fired

Media outlets pounced last week when a bartender at a Boucherville pub was apparently fired for refusing to serve an inebriated customer and calling the police to escort him home. But what at first appeared like a fairly mundane, cut-and-dried story about a wronged waitress and a bullying employer has taken a different spin now that Resto Bar Le Chêne Blanc has given its version of the facts.

In an emotional interview with Le Journal de Montréal, owner Dave Baillargeon claims that the situation was well in hand and escalated only after barmaid Valérie Couturier's impulsive intervention.

She made ??a decision that was not hers to make. The situation was under control. We knew that there was a police officer in the restaurant that night and we had complete confidence in his ability to deal with the customer.

Baillargeon goes on to claim that the story was blown out of proportion before he had a chance to speak with his employee and that his family has been threatened online. Interestingly, Couturier's photo remains on the restaurant's website.
· Les propriétaires donnent leur version des faits [Le Journal de Montréal]
· After alleged termination from restaurant, Montreal woman calls for change [Global]
· Barmaid fired for stopping drunk is public face of education campaign [CTV]
· Le Chêne Blanc [Official Site]