Fact-checking website Snopes targeted an article published by the satirical website Babylon Bee, clarifying that a piece published by a website that claims to be the "world's best satire site" was false.
The satirical article in question was written in response to a Georgia lawmaker's claim she had been verbally assaulted by a customer at a grocery store who told her to "go back to where I came from." The man involved in the incident acknowledged cursing at the lawmaker, but denied he told her to "go back." The Bee's article was entitled "Georgia Lawmaker Claims Chick-Fil-A Employee Told Her To Go Back To Her Country, Later Clarifies He Actually Said 'My Pleasure.'"
Snopes observed that this "particular story was especially confusing for some readers, however, as it closely mirrored the events of a genuine news story." They note that Georgia state Rep. Erica Thomas claimed to have been verbally assaulted by a fellow customer at a Publix, whereas the Bee story takes place at a Chick-Fil-A and involves an employee.
Earlier this week, it was reported that a Publix employee told Cobb County police she witnessed part of the alleged conversation and it was Thomas who repeatedly told the other customer to "go back where you came from." Thomas claimed to have feared for her life during the incident, although security video showed the fellow customer, Eric Sparkes, "did not appear to be irate," according to police. Sparkes admitted to confronting Thomas for checking out too many items in a 10-items-or-less line and calling her a "lazy little b--h" after she responded sharply.
Sparkes has said he only supports Democratic candidates and is of Cuban descent.
In May, Snopes fact-checked a Babylon Bee article mocking Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), and in April, Snopes went after a Babylon Bee article poking fun at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., NY).