A crowd of community members gathered under gray skies Sunday afternoon outside the Maryland Cracker Barrel where a group of special needs and autistic children were denied dine-in service earlier this month.

The demonstrators held signs reading “treat us equally” and “inclusion is a right not a privilege.” A couple wore shirts and sweatshirts with rainbow puzzle pieces, a symbol of autism awareness.

“God loves and accepts everyone! Why can’t Cracker Barrel?” another sign read.

Earlier this month, a group of 11 students and seven staff members from the Charles County Public Schools District were denied dine-in service at the Cracker Barrel in Waldorf, Maryland, Superintendent Maria Navarro said in a statement. The field trip was a part of community-based instruction for students in special education programs, allowing them to perform practical skills and socialize with the public.

The students attend Dr. James Craik Elementary School and belong to the district’s ACHIEVE program, for students with “significant cognitive disabilities” and SOAR program, for students with autism.

‘Can we eat now?’

A chant rang out among the protesters – one man with a bullhorn called out “can we eat,” while others responded, “now.”

The group broke into other chant soon after: “Treat us equally,” and “our kids matter.”

Less than a half hour after the protest began, dozens more people had joined, some with their children, covering the block next to the restaurant’s entrance.

‘Treated as human beings’

When Johnna Penrod found out about Cracker Barrel’s treatment of her daughter, who is nonverbal, and 10 of her classmates, it confirmed her already-existing fears that her daughter would struggle to be accepted out in the world.

“We should be treated as human beings, not as less than because we’re different than the average person,” said Penrod, 29, at the protest outside the restaurant on Sunday. Penrod wore a sweatshirt reading, “#CanWeEatNow,” which she said she had made for the protest.

Penrod’s husband, Dustin Reed, organized the protest when she was left dissatisfied after a meeting with Cracker Barrel executives about the incident. “They didn’t support anything that we said,” she said. “They even called our teachers liars during the meeting.”

Penrod, of nearby White Plains, said the demonstrators were a mix of friends, family, strangers and community members. “I’m very happy that it’s gotten the light that it has,” she said. “For the most part, things like this don’t come to light. It just gets ignored.”

“We are here to let the world know that everyone should be created equally, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.”

Protesters block traffic

Dozens of demonstrators marched across the road outside the Cracker Barrel, blocking traffic as they chanted, “Treat us equally” and “our kids matter.”

Several cars honked in unison and support.

“There’s only two sides—equality and the other side,” one woman shouted.

What happened at the Cracker Barrel?

According to Navarro, ahead of the school group’s visit, Charles County Public Schools staff notified the Waldorf Cracker Barrel of the group’s size and purpose of its visit. But they were assured reservations were unnecessary.

Upon arrival, the Cracker Barrel general manager told teaching staff the restaurant couldn’t accommodate the group and asked for the location to be removed from an approved list of restaurants for community-based instruction field trips, Charles County Public Schools special education teacher Katie Schneider said in an email to parents.

Though the group did not dine in, the restaurant permitted the students and staff to place a to-go order. Schneider said as the group waiting inside the restaurant for the food, “servers were blatantly rude to our staff and ignored all of our students.”

After about an hour of waiting, Schneider said the students moved to wait inside the school bus outside. Ultimately, the group ate its lunch back at the elementary school.

Cracker Barrel dismisses 3 employees, opens investigation

In a statement, Cracker Barrel pushed back on Navarro’s claim that the group was refused service, adding that a staffing shortage led to the closure of the restaurant’s second dining room.

In response to the events with the school group, the restaurant’s general manager and two employees were let go, Cracker Barrel told USA TODAY. The franchise also opened an internal investigation, interviewing guests and other employees.

On Dec. 9, Cracker Barrel executives met with Charles County Public Schools staff and parents to discuss how the group was treated at the restaurant, with some parents expressing disappointment about the emotional meeting.

More: Parents upset by meeting with Cracker Barrel execs over treatment of special ed. students

“We strive to create a welcoming environment and great experience for guests of all abilities, and we have a zero-tolerance policy against any form of discrimination,” Cracker Barrel said in a statement on Tuesday. “We apologize for not meeting our standards and failing to provide these students and teachers with the hospitality for which Cracker Barrel is known.”