Tennessee Wendy’s manager takes kitchen stunt with employee too far, then ends up facing felony charge

A Tennessee Wendy’s manager is now facing serious legal consequences after a kitchen stunt involving a co-worker went completely off the rails. Nineteen-year-old Michiko Burton was arrested following an investigation into her behavior at a Murfreesboro location. She currently faces charges of simple assault and false imprisonment. These charges are misdemeanor offenses that could result in her spending up to a year in jail.

As reported by the NY Post, the situation reportedly began when a video surfaced showing a neurodivergent employee being tied to a kitchen grill. The footage also captured the worker with garbage bags wrapped around his leg while he was bound to the equipment. 

This recording was reportedly captured by a colleague named Nicholus Murphy. Murphy later spoke about his decision to document the event and bring it to light. He stated, “They deserve justice,” and added, “He deserves a person here having his back.” Murphy also noted, “Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do.”

She claimed it was part of a social media stunt 

When authorities questioned Burton earlier this month, she provided a rather bizarre explanation for her actions. Murfreesboro police reported that she claimed the incident was part of a TikTok trend. She admitted to tying the co-worker to a workstation as part of this supposed social media stunt. 

However, her justification was met with immediate skepticism by those who witnessed the event. Murphy pointed out the inconsistency in her story when he said, “If there was a TikTok trend, then where’s the TikTok?”

The police investigation was quite thorough. The case was referred to Adult Protective Services and handled by detectives from the Special Victims Unit. While the neurodivergent worker fortunately did not suffer any physical injuries, the nature of the act itself was enough to trigger a formal legal response. The investigation ultimately led to the issuance of warrants for Burton’s arrest.

Wendy’s corporate leadership reacted swiftly once the video came to their attention. The company made it clear that they find this type of behavior completely intolerable. The area manager for the restaurant spoke out about the situation to confirm that Burton is no longer employed by the chain. The area manager stated, “That is why Michi is not here anymore,” and added, “Michi is no longer a manager for us.” The executive also branded her actions as “unacceptable.”