An employee was abruptly and unfairly rejected by the HR manager of a major hotel chain because of his disability

J. was looking for a job in a hotel. He applied via a hospitality employment agency, and was promised a dishwasher position in the kitchen of a hotel of a major chain in the Netherlands. He was given the contract by the agency, signed it, quit his current job and moved out from the housing where he lived. When he eventually met with the HR manager from the hotel – which was supposed to be the last formal step of acquiring new job – he was told that they can no longer offer it to him.

The reason he was given was that it was due to “his current situation”, in other words, his disability. Our colleague never hid his disability from the recruiter, but suddenly this disability became a problem and they told him that at the moment when he already quit his job, traveled to his new workplace, and was expecting to move in to the accommodation that was supposed to be provided for him.

Because of this discriminatory treatment he is now living in a homeless shelter and has no money to cover the costs of living.

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Can you briefly introduce yourself?

I’m J., I’m 46 years old, and I came here from Portugal in 2021, looking for a fresh start. I was born with a disability on my right side, my hand and leg, I’ve always worked and made my life independent, so my disability is part of me, and never stopped me from reaching my goals.

I’ve always been someone who has never given up against discrimination, and I’ve never expected this would happen to me here in the Netherlands in 2025… So here I am, in the Netherlands, where I worked in production as operator, in warehouse and in restaurants.

Can you describe your interactions with this hospitality recruitment agency?

My interaction with this recruitment agency was normal, I applied for a job, where I wrote a introduction of myself and why I was applying for the vacancy. And then was the normal procedure: first an interview with the recruiter, where I was approved, and then a video call with the HR manager from the hotel, which both were ok. 

How has the HR manager’s behaviour affected you?

For me, the worst was the cold and coward attitude from this person, the HR manager, which is the one responsible for managing workers. I just imagine how all the rest of the staff are treated.

Have you experienced that kind of treatment before?

Discrimination always existed in my life, but I always knew how to deal with it. But at this level, it was maybe the first time that I faced it, a cowardly and dishonest attitude that ruined my life goals in a second.

Why did you decide to team up with other workers and to take the issue into your own hands?

After this happened I was one month without reaction. But then I stopped and said to myself that I didn’t do anything wrong, and the fault of all this was on this person.

I come from a family of political prisoners and antifascists so for me it is natural to look for support on the ones from my class. In my country, I was always active in the collective answer against oppression, and after discussing with a friend he gave me the contact of HU, because he knows me, and that I couldn’t stay like that, without responding by reporting this situation.

So for me the only way to fight this kind of oppression is with organized and collective fight. So here we are…

What measures does this hospitality employment agency take to protect its employees from discrimination, harrassment, etc. Were any measures taken in your case?

I can’t tell. With me, they only gave me money for the train, and asked me if wanted a ticket back home. After that, only silence…

Were you offered accommodation as part of your contract? How has the breach of contract affected your housing situation? 

Yes, it was a job offer with accommodation and because of this situation I found myself homeless in a shelter and unemployed, so all my life turned upside down. But luckily, I found help, in Eindhoven, with a very wonderful group of people from the shelter by Leger des Heils (Pilot), that really helped me.

Have you had previous jobs with the same or similar positions, and were there ever any remarks about the quality of your work in those jobs? Did you ever feel discriminated against because of your disability?

I owned my restaurant in Portugal, where I was the cook and the manager, and I did it by myself, with my disability, and never had a single problem in fulfilling my job. Only the economical situation in my country and in general has stopped me.

I always worked in different jobs and always made it, and never left any work with any complaints.

How do you think situations like this can be prevented?

I think that this kind of situations can be prevented with a very big change of mindset, from governments and society, by ending with this stigma that people with disabilities are not part of the active society as all.

So there is still a long path to go, but from my experience no one should never stop denouncing and reporting any kind of discrimination. Because silence is our worst enemy.

What would be the expected outcome of this campaign? How would you measure if it’s successful or not? What does justice mean for you in this situation?

I’m not here for the show!

I’m doing this for the defense of the workers rights and in the end if with this campaign we can protect even only one worker from this kind of crime and harassment, for me it’s already a victory.

How can the readers of this article support you?

I think we should not center the support in me, but in giving more strength to Horeca United, by reporting situations like this, even if some things are scary. And for me the fight was to be collective, because only united we can make changes, and win battles, even if they are small.

So fellow workers join and reinforce the organisations that stand up for your rights, the more united and organized we are the more power we have!

Don’t expect help from organizations that are not made from worker for workers, because we can only count with US, the workers and the oppressed.

“You’ll never silence the Voice of the Voiceless”
– Rage Against the Machine

Franchise closure leaves workers unpaid: a conversation with a former Sugo Amsterdam employee

When a business owner shuts down operations and leaves employees unpaid, it’s more than just poor management; it’s a systemic issue. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too familiar to us at Horeca United/Vloerwerk (see also the Glanstastisch case https://www.doorbraak.eu/ik-ben-de-beroerdste-niet-hoe-irshaad-kariman-zijn-luxeleventje-bekostigt-over-de-ruggen-van-gevluchte-arbeiders/). In the Netherlands, entrepreneurship is often celebrated in media and policy circles, yet the treatment of workers is rarely scrutinized. Awards like the one received by Lupi Coffee https://www.doorbraak.eu/mkb-den-haag-heeft-spijt-van-prijs-aan-lupi-coffee-baas-hossein-akef/ or media coverage of fast food chain franchises highlight business success stories https://www.doorbraak.eu/poolse-horeca-medewerker-jan-eist-samen-met-horeca-united-zijn-volledige-niet-uitbetaalde-loon-op/, while the human cost often remains overlooked.

The Case of E. and Sugo Amsterdam

E., a student and former employee at Sugo Amsterdam, was left without pay when the franchise abruptly closed. Initially, the owner, Johan Matthijs (Joep) Noordhoek, promised to settle outstanding wages. But after a few exchanges, Joep Noordhoek stopped responding entirely. E. later discovered that their contract and working hours had never been officially registered with the tax authorities; an omission that jeopardized their eligibility for student financial aid.

Rather than accept this injustice, E. chose to take action and reached out to Horeca United/Vloerwerk for support.

Who Is Joep Noordhoek?

Joep Noordhoek has a history of short-lived ventures under the Sugo Pizza franchise. In October 2021, he opened a sandwich shop, Broodje Fier, which he converted into a Sugo Pizza location in May 2022. That business closed in December 2024. In 2023, he launched another Sugo franchise in De Pijp (Ferdinand Bolstraat 107), which also shut down by May 2025.

This pattern of rapid openings and closures has had serious consequences for his employees, who are often left without pay or legal protections.

A One-Sided Appeal for Compassion

Noordhoek claims to be facing financial hardship but has avoided declaring bankruptcy. Declaring bankruptcy benefits employees as it would lead to wage payments from the UWV. However, Noordhoek refuses to take this path for personal inconvencience. Noordhoek sticks his head in the sand and sabotages backpay. 

In response to a formal demand for E.’s wages, he suggested that we should empathize with his situation. Yet, he has shown little concern for the financial and emotional toll his actions have taken on his workers.

Despite his claims of hardship, Noordhoek co-founded (with Sebastiaan Pieter (Bas) Bröring) a new business, Eetlokaal Buurt (https://www.debuik.nl/amsterdam/restaurant/buurt-amsterdam), in July 2024. ​​​​​​​Eetlokaal Buurt remains operational, and Noordhoek works there.

Expecting compassion from precarious hospitality workers while refusing to take responsibility for their unpaid labor is not just unethical and unlawful: it is insulting.

Workers Fight Back

At Horeca United/Vloerwerk, we believe in direct action, solidarity, and self-empowerment. Rather than portraying workers as passive victims, we highlight their strength and agency. E.’s decision to speak out and organize is a powerful example of collective resistance in the face of exploitation. Please contact us to inform how you can contribute to this campaign. 

<English, Dutch below>

— Can you briefly introduce yourself?

I’m a 22 year-old Italian student who moved to Amsterdam almost 2 years ago.

Beside studying Social and Culture Justice, I try to be engaged and active outside of the class, giving my support for social struggles as much as I can.

— How long did you work for this establishment?

I was employed there from the end of February 2024 till end of February 2025.

— What was the atmosphere like at the job for the time you worked there? How was the relationship between employees and bosses?

I honestly liked the job, I worked there enough time to get very comfortable about my way of handling things and my overall competences. Between me and my coworkers there has always been a nice atmosphere. The boss wasn’t much around the restaurant during the last months, at the time he just opened a new place so he was there most of the time. 

Delayed payments and payslips has always been the main issue with him for all employees. The last months there was no manager, so it got very chaotic and disorganised and shifts were assigned on Sundays for the incoming week. Other that that, everybody treated each other with respectful manners, including the boss.

— How did the communication go with your boss when the restaurant was operating normally? Did it change after the restaurant closed? In what way?

Communicating with the boss was never easy: when asking, for several times, about late pay checks and payslips employees wouldn’t get a response for days. For any other type of communication, for example practical concerns about the restaurants, if things didn’t work, for sickness etc., communication would work much better.

— When did you realize that they were not going to pay you? How did you find out?

At the begging of March he told me he was facing bankruptcy and he was unable to keep the restaurant open, reassuring that he would have paid me “asap”. After then he stopped replying to any text or calls, giving no updates and becoming completely unreachable.

I got in contact with UWV and found out he actually never declared the bankruptcy. 
— Are any of your former coworkers in a similar position?

Yes, 7 other employees are still waiting to be paid just like me.

— How has the insecurity of work and payment affected your life?

As I mentioned before I am an expat student, which means I have a very low income.

I was never notified on time that I would have stopped working there, which left me unemployed for a few months as I had no time to look for another job. Moreover as a working student, I was receiving financial support from DUO, which I lost since my contract was not renewed. I also lost the benefit of free transportation which added up to all my expenses that I couldn’t afford as I didn’t get paid.

This made me feel very anxious and stressed about my situation and deeply overwhelmed as I felt powerless.

— Do you know other people who have been through similar situations? Do you think this is a common situation in horeca?

Other than my employees I don’t know anyone personally. I do know this is not the first case in horeca. After getting familiar with the work that Horeca United does, I realised this is much more common that I thought.

Honestly I didn’t expect this to happen in a country like the Netherlands where workers seem to be strongly covered under the law.

— Why did you choose to start a campaign against your former employer? What motivated you to do this instead of just changing jobs or getting a lawyer?

When I first found myself in this situation, my initial step was to seek help from the UWV. Since they work with formalized bankruptcy cases, and my employer hadn’t officially declared bankruptcy, there was little they could do. They started an investigation to see if it was necessary to force him to declare bankruptcy, but since the boss is not collaborating things have been stuck.

Starting or joining a campaign was not something I had considered at first. I wasn’t familiar with this kind of collective action, and I didn’t know who to turn to. It was only after a few months of trying to handle everything on my own that a friend suggested I contact Horeca United. Being part of a group of people who were ready to stand with me gave me the support I really needed. The union’s approach, based on bottom-up organisation and collective action, aligns much more closely with my values than relying solely on legal procedures.

It also felt deeply unjust to have to pay some lawyer just to try to recover the wages I had already earned.
During this time, I was also searching for another job, and I’m now employed somewhere else. But simply finding a new job never felt like a real solution to what I had been put through.

— How does it feel to team up with other workers and to take the issue into your own hands?

In the past moths, this situation caused me a lot of stress, instability and frustration. 

Finding fellow workers who were willing to listen and help felt very relieving and empowering. I feel that I finally have the space to fight for my problems without having to wait for a whole system to recognise my struggles.

— What would you say to other people facing work and payment insecurity due to the exploitative practices of bosses?

I would tell them that it is totally right and just to fell anger and frustration; that any way you will choose to deal this with, will feel like putting extra work, extra energies and time for something you shouldn’t be experiencing in the first place! 

I would encourage them to look for people really willing to help and to not give up.

— How can the readers of this article support you?

They can join our campaign! Help us pressuring the boss to finally pay!

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<Dutch>

— Kun je jezelf even kort voorstellen?

Ik ben 22-jaar, ik studeer en kom uit Italië. Bijna twee jaar geleden ben ik naar Amsterdam is verhuisd. Naast mijn studie Social and Cultural Justice ben ik ook betrokken bij sociale strijd buiten de collegebanken.  

— Hoe lang heeft u bij dit restaurant gewerkt?

Ik was in dienst van eind februari 2024 tot eind februari 2025.

— Hoe was de werksfeer tijdens uw dienstverband? Hoe was de relatie tussen werknemers en leidinggevenden?

Ik vond werken daar eerlijk gezegd wel leuk. Ik werkte er lang genoeg om me zeker te voelen in mijn taken en vaardigheden. De sfeer tussen mij en mijn collega’s was altijd goed. De eigenaar was de laatste maanden nauwelijks aanwezig in het restaurant, omdat hij net een nieuwe zaak had geopend en daar meestal was.

Echter, vertraagde betalingen en vertraagde loonstrookjes waren een terugkerend probleem. Dit gold voor alle werknemers. In de laatste maanden was er geen manager meer, waardoor de werkvloer erg chaotisch en ongeorganiseerd werd. Roosters werden pas op zondag voor de komende week gedeeld. Afgezien van deze situaties werd iedereen met respect behandeld, ook door de eigenaar.

— Hoe verliep de communicatie met de eigenaar toen het restaurant nog open was? Veranderde dat nadat het sloot?

Communicatie met de eigenaar was nooit eenvoudig: bij herhaalde vragen over achterstallige betalingen of loonstroken kregen werknemers vaak dagenlang geen reactie. Voor andere zaken, zoals praktische problemen in het restaurant of ziekmeldingen, verliep de communicatie beter.

— Wanneer realiseerde je zich dat je niet uitbetaald zou worden? Hoe kwam je daarachter?

Begin maart vertelde de manager me dat hij op de rand van faillissement stond en het restaurant moest sluiten. Hij verzekerde me dat hij me “zo snel mogelijk” zou betalen. Daarna stopte hij volledig met reageren op berichten of telefoontjes en werd hij onbereikbaar.

Via het UWV ontdekte ik dat hij het faillissement nooit officieel had aangevraagd.

— Zijn er andere oud-collega’s in dezelfde situatie?

Ja, zeven andere werknemers wachten ook nog steeds op hun loon.

— Hoe heeft deze onzekerheid over werk en betaling je leven beïnvloed?

Zoals ik eerder zei, ben ik een internationale student met een laag inkomen.
Ik werd niet op tijd geïnformeerd dat mijn werk zou stoppen, waardoor ik plots werkloos was en geen tijd had om iets anders te vinden. Omdat mijn contract niet werd verlengd, verloor ik ook mijn recht op studiefinanciering van DUO en het gratis OV. Dat kwam bovenop alle andere kosten die ik niet kon betalen omdat ik mijn loon niet kreeg.

Dit alles veroorzaakte veel stress, angst en een gevoel van machteloosheid.

— Ken je anderen die iets soortgelijks hebben meegemaakt? Denkt je dat dit vaker voorkomt in de horeca?

Behalve mijn collega’s ken ik persoonlijk niemand, maar ik weet dat dit niet het eerste geval is in de horeca. Sinds ik kennis heb gemaakt met het werk van Horeca United, realiseer ik me dat dit veel vaker voorkomt dan ik dacht.

Eerlijk gezegd had ik dit niet verwacht in een land als Nederland, waar werknemers goed beschermd lijken te zijn.

— Waarom besloot je een campagne te starten tegen je voormalige werkgever? Wat motiveerde je om dit te doen in plaats van gewoon een andere baan te zoeken of een advocaat in te schakelen?

Mijn eerste stap was om hulp te zoeken bij het UWV. Omdat zij alleen werken met formeel uitgesproken faillissementen, konden ze weinig doen. Ze zijn een onderzoek gestart om te kijken of ze het faillissement konden afdwingen, maar omdat de eigenaar niet meewerkt, ligt alles stil.

Een campagne starten of meedoen was niet iets wat ik meteen overwoog. Ik kende dit soort collectieve actie niet en wist niet bij wie ik terecht kon. Pas na een paar maanden, toen ik alles zelf probeerde op te lossen, raadde een vriend me aan om contact op te nemen met Horeca United. Deel uitmaken van een groep mensen die bereid was om samen met mij op te komen voor onze rechten, gaf me de steun die ik nodig had. De aanpak van dit solidariteitsnetwerk— gebaseerd op bottom-up organisatie en collectieve actie — sluit veel beter aan bij mijn waarden dan alleen juridische stappen.

Het voelde ook oneerlijk om een advocaat te moeten betalen om loon terug te krijgen waar ik al recht op had.
In de tussentijd heb ik een andere baan gevonden, maar gewoon een nieuwe baan zoeken voelde nooit als een echte oplossing voor wat mij is aangedaan.

— Hoe voelt het om samen met andere werknemers actie te ondernemen?

De afgelopen maanden hebben me veel stress, onzekerheid en frustratie bezorgd.
Het was een opluchting en gaf me kracht om collega’s te vinden die wilden luisteren en helpen. Ik voel dat ik eindelijk de ruimte heb om voor mijn rechten op te komen, zonder te hoeven wachten tot het systeem mijn situatie erkent.

— Wat zou u willen zeggen tegen anderen die te maken hebben met onzekerheid over werk en betaling door uitbuitende werkgevers?

Ik zou zeggen dat het volkomen terecht is om boos en gefrustreerd te zijn. Welke manier je ook kiest om hiermee om te gaan, het zal voelen alsof je extra werk en energie moet steken in iets wat je nooit had mogen overkomen.

Ik zou hen aanmoedigen om mensen te zoeken die echt willen helpen, en om niet op te geven.

— Hoe kunnen lezers van dit artikel u steunen?

Ze kunnen zich aansluiten bij onze campagne! Help ons druk uit te oefenen op de eigenaar zodat hij eindelijk betaalt!

Update: The employer has finally decided to stop hiding and address the worker’s demands. They admit they owe the wages, but are now arguing that they will not pay the full amount because of some far fetched, BS reasons. It’s still wage theft to us, even if it has a discount… We are glad this campaign is now reaching the next steps. Keep an eye on our website and socials for more case updates, or even better join one of our meetings!

After working for two weeks in a known franchise restaurant in Hulst, Jan was left without a contract and no pay. The ex-employer has ghosted him completely, ignoring calls, emails, and messages. And the best part? This “aspiring entrepreneur” is on vacation in Dubai, while Jan struggles to afford groceries and rent! We guess taking selfies while riding camels is more important…

Jan decided to fight back, and contacted Horeca United to get support in starting his own campaign against the ex-employer. Since then, we have tried many times to reach out and discuss how Jan can receive his long-overdue compensation, but the employer is still ignoring the demands. It is now time to escalate, and take the next steps in this campaign.

It is shockingly common in this industry for bosses to send contracts long after employees have started regular work, or not at all. This adds even further to the precarious situation of workers and makes it even more difficult for us to hold our bosses to the rock-bottom standards that the law demands. Horeca bosses can already legally screw us over with zero-hour contracts that give them all the power they need to refuse us work if we do not follow along with their bullshit…

No amount of unpaid wages is too small to fight for, no injustice too small to stand up and fight, and Jan’s boss is going to see what it looks like when workers come together to show the power in our solidarity.

We have interviewed Jan about his case, where he shares his story in his own words. Give it a read, and contact us to help support this campaign!

Questions:

– Can you briefly introduce yourself?

My name is Jan and I come from Poland. For the last 2 years in Poland it was very hard for me to find a decent job where I felt respected and fairly compensated. I came here to Netherlands to dig myself out from this financially difficult situation and find a job.

My story is not very original or uncommon – the job market in Poland is very difficult and a lot of people are looking for opportunities in wealthier EU countries where compensation for so called unskilled jobs allows you to make enough money to make ends meet and live relatively comfortable life, which is not possible in Poland.

— How long did you work for this establishment?

For two weeks .

— What was the atmosphere like at the job for the shifts you worked? (How was the relationship between employees and bosses?)

The atmosphere during the shifts was ok at the beginning, the owner seemed nice, the other employee I worked with seemed to have a good relationship with the boss and she was nice to me too.

What quickly became a big red flag for me though was that communication with the boss outside working hours (when obviously we could communicate directly) was very difficult because she didn’t respond to my text messages or phone calls (or she was replying or calling back after 2-3 days) and the contract that I asked for and was promised to get remained a promise. It was never given to me.

More problems arose during the second week when the co-owner was supposed to do the delivery but was running late and asked us to do the delivery for him (there was just 2 of us). What was becaming stressful for me as well was that there was always something missing in our supplies (it was not our job to take care of the supplies) and the colleague at work was very often forced to run to the supermarket to buy whatever was missing that day.

— How did the communication go regarding planning shifts?

The communication was difficult because my ex-boss didn’t reply nor call me back for many days.

— How did the communication go regarding payment? (When did you realise that they were not going to pay you?)

When I worked there I was told that we get payed on the 10th of each month. After we mutually agreed that I’m not going to work there I was promised (when she eventually called me back after many many attempts to reach her via text messages and phone calls) I was promised I will be payed – that was on the 12th of March.

I made A LOT of attempts to contact her (both via text messages and by calling her). Due to the working hours in two work places where I’m now employed, I couldn’t visit the place myself (also I wasn’t sure she’ll be there) and frankly even when I could go there, I felt too emotional, angry and stressed to face her or her husband alone. She effectively ghosted me and after more than one week of trying to contact her it became clear that she doesn’t intend to pay me.

— How has the insecurity of work and payment affected your (personal) life?

It made me feel disrespected to put it mildly. For sure it wasn’t the first time when this kind of situation happened to me – actually it happened in other place where I worked when I came here to Netherlands and I similarly had to make many attempts to contact this ex-employer and eventually got a tantrum response only when I mentioned legal steps that I was considering to take. Fortunately it worked in that case and I got the money. In this case this method didn’t work.

I’m 40 and unfortunately I have too many stories like this to tell. It feels so degrading to be treated like this. The fact that you actually have to ask for the contract so many times. Asking to be payed on time. It happened in almost every job that I had and I’m not talking about horeca jobs only. It’s almost a default practice of treating employees. Of course this humiliating treatment of employees is much more common when you do horeca jobs. I feel that bad treatment of employees is in general a huge problem and it’s being way too often normalized to the tune of grind culture. It’s so very depressing that very often horrible employers are excused even by the exlpoited employees themeselves. I think it proves how brainwashed our society is and to what degree so many people internalized capitalist hustle culture.

— How does it feel to team up with other workers and to take the issue into your own hands?

It feels wonderful to have support of workers who decide to take action. I feel touched by the amount of help and engagement from members of Horeca United. I suppose it’s a kind of silver lining in this distressing situation – it’s amazing to get such awesome support, to feel a true solidarity and understanding from people who unfortunately had to go through similar situations. As I mentioned I felt too overwhelmed by emotions to face this problem alone and now when I have the help of other workers, I’m confident that together by joining our individual efforts we’ll manage to apply enough pressure to get what we want – it wouldn’t be possible if I didn’t have this “safety net” of people who support me and who have a lot of experience and expertise in dealing with this type abuses and pathologies.

— What would you say to other people facing work and payment insecurity due to the exploitative practices of bosses?

I would tell them to always assume the worse when dealing with employers – it sounds somber but unfortunately it’s the only sensible approach. Take screenshots of text messages (include information about the hours you worked in these text messages – try to communicate via text messages as much as possible because it’s easier to document them), record phone calls you have with your employer, take photos of yourself in the workplace doing the job – in short gather evidence that proves that you worked in a given place. Also insist on being given a contract (I did that and still wasn’t given any but you always have to persistently try). Employers take advantage of the fact that many people looking for work are in a desperate situation and will work anyways even without contract – it’s horrible but we have to pressure them (I know I will do it more persistently next time).

Most importantly though – look for support of groups like Horeca United. You don’t need to pay any membership fees. What you gain is an awesome help of people who understand your problems very well so you will feel safer, you’ll feel that together you have much more power and you’ll be able to help other people who find themselves in similar position. Workers united will never be defeated.

— How can the readers of this article support you?

I’m already getting loads of help from Horeca United. I think we’ll all benefit if we can learn from this story. For me the key takeaway is to look for support of a grass-root workers union immediately after such thing happens.

It’s not directly supportive to me, but I guess in the long run it will be beneficial to everyone – we should all talk about such pathologies with our colleagues at work and our friends. I strongly feel that working people, especially those who are unfairly called “unskilled workers” (and who were hypocritically called “essential workers” during the peak of corona virus pandemic and then suddenly everybody switched back to this bullshit notion of “unskilled labour”), who are so commonly treated like machines not humans, should all get much, much more vocal, or when necessary loud, and express a firm objection when faced with any kind of abuse or pathological treatment at work.

If we suppress our anger and don’t turn it into a collective effort to counter this inhumane treatment, we’ll just make the problem more common and normalized and we’ll be left boiling inside from anger or even worse – we’ll make it a norm to misdirect this anger inwards and think we deserve such horrible treatment. We can’t let this happen.