A 19-year-old Wendy’s manager, Michiko Burton, has been arrested and charged with simple assault and false imprisonment following an Aug. 30, 2026, incident at a restaurant on South Church Street in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Burton allegedly used white trash bag liners to tie the ankles of a neurodivergent co-worker to a kitchen grill workstation during a shift.
While the former manager initially pushed back by claiming the act was an innocent social media stunt, a co-worker who came forward and the victim’s family have described a much different situation involving alleged workplace abuse and negligence.
According to People, the restaurant conducted an internal investigation and promptly fired Burton. However, criminal charges did not immediately follow. When the Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) first questioned Burton on Sept. 6, she admitted to restraining the employee but maintained that it was only a harmless joke based on a popular TikTok trend.
The investigation was temporarily closed without an arrest
Because the victim initially told officers that he was not injured and did not appear visibly upset, the investigation was temporarily closed without an arrest.
That changed when Nicholus Murphy, another Wendy’s employee who recorded the incident on video, came forward. Murphy strongly disputed the manager’s explanation that the incident was simply a social media joke.
According to Murphy, Burton told staff that she needed the neurodivergent employee to “stay put” so she could finish administrative work in the back of the restaurant. She allegedly complained that she “didn’t have time to babysit him.”
“I actually felt sad for him,” Murphy recalled in an interview with local news outlets. “I actually wanted to cry.” Murphy also questioned the manager’s explanation, adding, “If there was a TikTok trend, then where’s the TikTok?”
The victim’s family then pushed law enforcement to reopen the case rather than allowing the matter to end with the initial investigation. Given the employee’s vulnerability, authorities also referred the matter to Adult Protective Services.
Detectives from the Murfreesboro Police Department’s Special Victims Unit took over the case, interviewing restaurant staff and reviewing the video footage from the incident. Their investigation eventually led to a formal arrest warrant for Burton on Sept. 17. She was booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on a $2,000 bond.
Burton has since posted bail and is awaiting her first scheduled appearance in General Sessions Court on Oct. 22, 2026.
Family advocacy reopens the case
The victim’s family attorney, Issac Kimes, highlighted the psychological impact of what happened, noting that the widespread circulation of the video has made things even harder for the young man as he continues to deal with the incident.
As the video spread online, Wendy’s management condemned the behavior. An area manager reportedly told employees during a staff meeting that actions like these were completely unacceptable, regardless of what the person involved may have intended.
Wendy’s corporate representatives also issued a statement affirming their commitment to workplace safety, dignity, and proper protocol. The company said the matter was promptly investigated and resolved.
The incident has since sparked conversations on social media about the training given to young managers, particularly when they are working with neurodivergent employees. And with the video still circulating, the story is clearly not going away just yet.
For now, Burton is out on bail and waiting for her day in court, while the young man and his family are left dealing with the fallout from what started as an ordinary shift at a Wendy’s restaurant.
