In contrast to the story below, some acts are so heinous that there's no need to wait for facts
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Shain’s of Maine lost its most prominent customer – the Portland Sea Dogs – Friday after a social media storm caused by an accusation of racial bias against the Sanford ice cream maker’s owner.
The online protests of Shain’s of Maine began Wednesday morning after Melitta Nichols posted on Facebook about an incident involving her daughter Iaomi, who worked at Shain’s and who is black. Nichols posted that Jeff Shain, the company’s owner, asked her daughter why he couldn’t use a racial slur.
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It also prompted at least one black women who worked at Shain’s, Alyvia Parris of Alfred, to say she had witnessed Shain using racially insensitive language on several occasions, something echoed by others on social media.
Besides the Sea Dogs, businesses that cut ties with Shain’s this week included The Ice Cream Dugout in North Windham, The Saco Scoop in Saco and Maxim’s Desserts in Kennebunkport.
Jeff Shain did not respond to a phone call and email Friday asking him for more details about this week’s incident, and about social media comments about him.
But in a message posted on Facebook on Wednesday evening, Shain said his comments to Iaomi Nichols were about words in a song, and came after workers at the ice cream parlor were playing music with “offensive language for our place of business.”
“Let this be clear: I was commenting on the offensive language used in the music. At no time did I comment on anyone’s race, or direct racial slurs at anyone. I did not mean for any of this conversation to be offensive and there was absolutely no intent to hurt anyone,” Shain wrote. “I am sorry for any hurt that it has caused. I believed then, and I still believe, that songs with offensive language should not be played in businesses that serve the public and that was the context in which this conversation took place. I want to assure the community that our business is welcoming to people of all races.”
Contacted midday Friday, Iaomi Nichols said in a Facebook message that she would call the Press Herald “when available” to talk about the incident.
Once her handlers get her story in proper form.
Shain’s makes a high-quality premium ice cream — certainly better than the brand of minor league baseball served up by the sea Dogs — and worth searching for when visiting New England.
