WEST ALLIS, Wis. — A West Allis woman is asking for more accountability after she said she was the victim of a racist encounter at a car dealership in Oak Creek.
Makayla Starks said after what should have been a routine oil change in January she found the "N-word" typed onto her service sticker by a technician at the Kunes Buick GMC dealership.
“I was stripped of my right to safely do business with Kunes,” Starks said. “I just wanted to spread awareness to the community so that other people of color have the opportunity to make that decision for themselves before they decide to do business here.”
Saturday afternoon, Starks returned to the dealership with questions and more than a dozen demonstrators. There they chanted their support and held signs with words like “dignity for all customers."
Starks told TMJ4’s Tahleel Mohieldin that dealership staff first claimed that a technician left a tool in her car which they needed to retrieve, instead of disclosing that an employee had typed the racial slur.
“Several of them made attempts to cover this up with that lie and try to gain access to my vehicle, in order to remove the sticker,” she said. “Their regional manager suggested that they did this in an attempt to prevent any further harm.”
However, Starks said the same employee who typed the racial slur arrived at her home address to remove the sticker, which she said made matters worse.
“All I can say is that it's sad that this is still going on in 2025,” Starks’ finance Joey Koepp said. “I'm kind of just sad that we took our business to Kunes and paid them and I wish we went somewhere else."
In a statement to TMJ4 News, a spokesperson for Kunes Buick GMC of Oak Creek said they are “deeply disturbed and saddened by the incident.”
They said that when the dealership learned of the allegations, immediate action was taken and the employee responsible was fired within two days of the incident.
The spokesperson also said Kunes did not ask or direct that employee to go to Starks home but “understand he may have tried to do so on his own.”
Check out: West Allis woman finds racial slur on sticker from an Oak Creek car dealership
Starks and her attorney William Sulton said they believe the dealership’s response falls short.
Starks wants the dealership to disclose the names of all the employees who were involved in servicing her vehicle and address the claim that a tool was left in her car
"Just saying that you fired somebody is not good enough,” Sulton said. “That doesn't get at the root cause of why this occurred which is something that we all want.”
Sulton said Kunes needs to demonstrate it has policies against racism, move forward with training employees accordingly, and commit to retraining.
The dealership’s spokesperson said that Kunes is taking measurable steps to address the incident with their entire team.
TMJ4’s Mohieldin asked for examples of specific steps the dealership would take to address the issue.
“We continue to explore the education and training it takes to provide exemplary service and live our values every day,” they said, “and we will increase employee opportunities for learning and awareness.”
The spokesperson also stated that Kunes has apologized to Starks and offered her credits for future service at other locations.
Read Kunes Buick GMC of Oak Creek’s full statement below:
We are deeply disturbed and saddened by the incident that has come to light involving one of our employees and a customer, her sense of safety and dignity. We want to be unequivocal: this behavior and the hateful sentiment it implies are absolutely against our values as a company. There is no place for racism or discrimination within our dealership or community.
Upon learning of these allegations, we took immediate action. The employee known to be involved has been terminated, effective immediately.
We have been in contact with this customer over the last month to offer our apologies and have offered her credits for future service at other locations.
This incident stands in stark contrast to who we are as a company. We recognize the seriousness of this matter and accept our responsibility to ensure a safe, welcoming environment for every person who walks through our doors. While words are important, we know that real change comes from action, and we are fully committed to demonstrating our values through measurable steps. We are moving forward addressing this with our entire staff, reinforcing our corporate values.
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