Family ordered to leave restaurant because of crying child

JACKSON, SC (WIS) - At first, Gail Martin says she wasn't sure who was yelling at her to leave the Buckhead Café in Jackson. It turned out to be Jackson Police Chief Dennis Rushton, asking Gail and her family to leave.

"I didn't know what he was doing," Gail's daughter Lauren said.

The family was just about to order when 4-year-old Alyssa began crying; she suffers from autism.

Gail says Chief Rushton yelled across the restaurant again.

"He said, ‘You need to pick her up and you need to get out of here now,'" Gail said.

Lauren is upset with the chief.

"That was very mean to say -- just very mean," Lauren said.

The embarrassment was too much for Gail and her daughters, who soon left the restaurant.

"I wasn't embarrassed of Alyssa's behavior, I was embarrassed of the way it was handled," Gail said.

Chief Rushton would not make a statement, but he did say he felt Mrs. Martin's daughter was being extremely loud and bothering other customers.

Even though he knew the child was autistic, he said he did ask the Martins to leave.

Gail says she feels like Chief Rushton should have been more understanding about what was going on with her autistic daughter.

"We can't just lock them up, they have every right to be out in public like everyone else," Gail said.

Now Gail hopes her story will bring more awareness about autism.

"If it can happen in a small town in Jackson, it can happen anywhere," Gail said.

Chief Rushton says he is open to going through training through the South Carolina Autism Society to help him better understand the condition.

Rushton also says his police commissioner has invited the Martin family to meet with them at City Hall.

The Martins say they are open to meeting with the commissioner.

As you can imagine, people have had plenty to say about this story.

Viewer Roger said, "The family should have known better than to take an emotionally disturbed child into a restaurant. When customers pay to enjoy a nice meal the last thing they want to endure is an uncontrollable child."

Viewer Amanda wrote, "I know what it's like to have one or both of your autistic children start crying for reasons that other people could not possibly understand. I'm not saying children with autism should get a free pass on their behavior. I'm just saying that people should be more understanding because most of these kids can't communicate their needs verbally."

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ONE, VIEWER ROGER IS AN IDIOT AND PROBABLY NEVER GOT LAID LET ALONE HAS KIDS. SOMEONE SHOULD REMIND HIS ARROGANT ASS THAT HE TOO WAS ONCE A SQUALLING KID.

SECOND, IT IS A CRYING KID. GET OVER IT. WHEN DID WE BECOME SO IMPATIENT AND RUDE THAT A CRYING BABY OR CHILDREN WITH MEDICAL ISSUES ANNOY US? IF I WERE THE MOM, I WOULD SUE THE OFFICER. SHE HAD AS MUCH RIGHT TO EAT THERE AS HIS ASS DID. BEFORE YOU START BEING OBNOXIOUS, PUT YOURSELF IN OTHERS SHOES. WHAT IF IT WERE YOUR CHILD?