Michiko Burton, 19, was arrested Thursday and charged with simple assault and false imprisonment after police say she admitted tying a neurodivergent coworker to a grill at a Tennessee Wendy’s.
Burton, who had been a manager at the Murfreesboro fast-food location, told investigators earlier this month that “the incident was part of a TikTok trend, and she tied a worker, who is neurodivergent, to a workstation,” Murfreesboro police said. The department’s Special Victims Unit detectives investigated and obtained warrants for her arrest.
The charges against Burton carry up to a year in jail. She has since been fired from her position at the restaurant.
Wendy’s area manager condemned Burton’s conduct in blunt terms. “That is why Michi is not here anymore,” the area manager said. “Michi is no longer a manager for us.” The manager branded the actions “unacceptable.”
The case gained traction after a colleague’s recording surfaced. Nicholus Murphy, who filmed the incident, expressed skepticism about Burton’s stated motive. “If there was a TikTok trend, then where’s the TikTok?” Murphy said.
Murphy said he felt compelled to advocate for the victim. “They deserve justice,” he continued. “He deserves a person here having his back.”
“Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do,” Murphy added.
Police noted that the neurodivergent worker was not physically injured in the incident. Initially, Burton was not arrested, but the emergence of the video prompted further investigation by the Special Victims Unit. The case was also referred to Adult Protective Services.
The term neurodivergent serves as an umbrella designation encompassing conditions including ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia, among others, and applies to roughly 20 percent of the world’s population, according to the Neurodiversity Directory.
Burton allegedly wrapped garbage bags around the worker’s leg before tying him to the grill, according to police.
