Wendy's Manager Arrested for TikTok Stunt Allegedly Tying Neurodivergent Employee to Grill

A Wendy's manager in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has been arrested and charged with simple assault and false imprisonment following an incident where she allegedly tied a neurodivergent employee to kitchen equipment. The manager, identified as Michiko Burton, 19, claimed the act was part of a TikTok trend.

Police were alerted after a video of the incident, recorded by a colleague, Nicholus Murphy, circulated. The video reportedly showed the employee, who is neurodivergent, bound with garbage bags. While initially not arrested due to the employee not sustaining injuries, further investigation by detectives with the Special Victims Unit led to warrants for Burton's arrest.

Murphy, who captured the video, questioned Burton's explanation, stating, "If there was a TikTok trend, then where’s the TikTok?" He expressed a sense of duty to speak up for his co-worker, asserting, "They deserve justice. He deserves a person here having his back."

Wendy's has terminated Burton's employment, with an area manager for the chain calling her actions "unacceptable."

Simple assault and false imprisonment are misdemeanor offenses that can carry a penalty of up to one year in jail.

Neurodivergence is an umbrella term that includes conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, affecting approximately 20 percent of the global population, according to the Neurodiversity Directory.