A South Carolina man will make his first court appearance next month after he was accused of slapping a teenage hostess three times on the forehead at a Walt Disney World Resort restaurant while under the influence after she she refused to seat him due to the restaurant's dress code.
John Munro, 64, of South Carolina, was arrested and charged with assault after an altercation between him and a 19-year-old hostess at Citrus inside Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in November.
No stranger to luxury hotels, Munro was vice president of hospitality, sales and marketing at the prestigious Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head, where he lives.
Karen Moraghan, a spokesperson for the South Carolina property, told Fox News Digital that Munro is no longer employed by The Sea Pines Resort.
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Drunk man allegedly slaps teenage hostess at Walt Disney World hotel restaurant over dress code snub. (Orange County Department of Corrections)
On Thursday, Moraghan confirmed to The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette that Munro was placed on administrative leave “amid a review of this personnel matter.”
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by Fox 35 Orlando, on November 19, 2023, Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the complex in reference to an assault.
A preliminary investigation revealed that shortly before 7:30 p.m., a restaurant hostess was checking in on a family who had a reservation for three people. However, the group arrived with four people; two women and two men.
According to arrest records, one of the men, identified as Munro, was not dressed in accordance with the restaurant's dress code.
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The incident took place at the Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, pictured. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
He was wearing board shorts and a t-shirt, and the Cítricos website states that “guests are expected to dress accordingly in clothing that respects the restaurant's sophisticated and upscale aesthetic,” explicitly adding that swimsuits are not permitted. .
Because Munro was wearing “swim shorts and a T-shirt,” the hostess told him he would not be allowed to have dinner with his family, according to the report. Munro seemed to understand but she said she would wait with her group until they were seated. The hostess agreed to her request, but the situation worsened when she led the group to sit down moments later.
According to deputies, Munro followed the group of three to their table despite being told he was not allowed to do so.
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Drivers approaching the entrance to the Walt Disney World resort in Florida. (Brian Carlson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Please don't let him sit with us, he's very drunk, poorly dressed, it's my birthday and I'm embarrassed,” one of the women told the hostess, according to the affidavit.
When the hostess told Munro he couldn't sit with the group, he “began repeatedly slapping her on the forehead” three times while saying her name, which he read from the name tag on her shirt, deputies said.
The hostess was not injured and refused medical treatment and wanted to press charges, deputies said.
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A crowd is seen in front of the iconic Walt Disney World castle in Orlando, Florida. (2024 The Wealth of Geeks)
Officers caught up with Munro, who they said was apparently intoxicated due to his “slurred speech, glowing red eyes, and constant repetition that he was going to sue Disney,” according to the arrest affidavit.
Munro was arrested and released on $1,000 bail the next morning.
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Surveillance video from the restaurant was not available, but prosecutors plan to use police body camera footage of the incident, according to Florida court records.
Munro has pleaded not guilty and is expected to appear in court for a pre-trial hearing on February 16.
