Racist customer banned from steakhouse after waiter's post goes viral

A waiter's post about a racist customer has gone viral.

Khalil Cavil was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa. When it came to picking up a $108 bill, a customer paid but refused to tip the 20-year-old.

Instead, the patron left him a racist note:

We don’t tip terrorist. [sic]

They circled his name on the receipt, ‘Khalil’, which is Arabic for friend.

Sharing a picture of the message on Facebook, he wrote:

Last night at work I received this note from one of my tables. At the moment I didn’t know what to think nor want to say, I was sick to my stomach. I share this because I want people to understand that this racism still exists.

Although, this is nothing new, it is still something that will test your faith. All day I’ve had to remind myself that Jesus died for these people too. I have decided to let this encourage me, and fuel me to change the world the only way I know how.

Cavil decided not to identify the customers in the note. However Terry Turner, the COO of the restaurant, told The New York Post:

We stand by and support our employee. Racism of any form is unacceptable and we have banned this customer from returning to our restaurant.

Cavil, who will be studying at Dallas Baptist University later this year, said he wasn’t sure if he should upload the picture initially, and it was a Martin Luther King Jr quote that spurred him into action:

‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’

It’s not about them, and it’s not about me. It’s about this hatred that is still going on, that is still here and prevalent. I just wanted people to understand that.

The post quickly went viral and it was shared across Facebook more than 15.5k times.

One wrote:

I actually feel sorry for these people you know...they are that lacking in basic human intelligence

One shared their own favourite quotes with Cavil:

Just wanted to say well done and share my favourite quote with you ...’Trust me on this one...you'll never regret forgiving someone who doesn't deserve it.’ - C.R. Swindoll

And Lisa Ann insisted not all Americans ‘feel this way’.

I am so sorry you have to deal with this BS. I and most Americans stand with you. This is so heart breaking to see. Just remember most Americans do not feel this way!

More: Racism is widespread within the LGBT+ community, Stonewall research reveals

More: 5 examples of extreme white privilege