A coffee shop run by adults with developmental disabilities is bombarded with protesters and angry critics after a viral video of a fundraiser in which high school students licked their toes for charity.

An Oklahoma cafeteria built to employ adults with developmental disabilities has faced backlash after accepting donations from a high school fundraiser in which students licked adults’ toes.

Not Your Average Joe was founded in Oklahoma City by Tim Herbel in 2019 to celebrate his nephew, who had cerebral palsy and died at the age of 11.

They have run into controversy after accepting funds from Deer Creek High School, which holds an annual “Wonderful Fundraising Week” event that included a bizarre activity that appeared to show students licking peanut butter off their fingers. feet of adults.

In the video, half of the participants sat with their feet extended in front of them, while the other half of the less fortunate children lay on the floor of the school gym and licked their classmates’ feet.

Video of the event went viral, leading to backlash against coffee shops and harassing phone calls to employees.

“They call our stores and our friends with special needs usually answer the phones and insult them and call them pedophiles,” Herbel said. The Oklahoman.

Not Your Average Joe was founded in Oklahoma City by Tim Herbel in 2019 to celebrate his nephew, who had cerebral palsy and died at the age of 11.

In the end, the school raised $152,830.38 for the cafeteria, part of which will go toward hiring more employees with developmental disabilities and opening a second location, but the backlash against the store has been harsh on Herbel.

‘One-star reviews from across the country. We’re not this well-funded machine that has all these dollars. They’re beating us up. The children are being beaten.

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The video was quickly attacked by many, including conservatives like Senator Ted Cruz, who called it “child abuse.”

Oklahoma Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters promised they would get to the bottom of the situation. The district has promised the standoff will end.

“This is disgusting,” Walters said in a statement. ‘We are cleaning up this mess in Oklahoma schools. Our agency is investigating.

The students had chosen Not Your Average Joe as their benefactor for the year, sparking outrage toward the store.

The cafeteria has sparked controversy after accepting funds from Deer Creek High School, which holds an annual “Wonderful Fundraising Week” event that included a bizarre activity, which appeared to show students licking peanut butter off their fingers. feet of adults.

‘One-star reviews from across the country. We’re not this well-funded machine that has all these dollars. They’re beating us up. “Children are being beaten,” founder Herbel (pictured) said of the reaction

In a statement, the Oklahoma school district claimed the video was part of a “Clash of the Classes” event that students paid to attend to raise money. Officials said no faculty or staff at the school participated, although they did not clarify who did so beyond the students.

“The kids did the best they could and this didn’t turn out the way they expected,” he said. “The children meant well and it is the people who are ultimately suffering right now,” Herbel said.

The school district disputed some of the claims made online about the event and toe-sucking activity.

“We want to emphasize to our community that much of the information accompanying this video is inaccurate,” they said.

‘However, through this specific game we failed to defend the dignity of our students and the proud image of our community. We have a responsibility to protect our antlers and display them in a positive light. In regards to this particular activity, we fell short and for that we greatly apologize.’