Members of the Westport community came together today to show support for a Starbucks employee who claims he has been harassed and called racial slurs by a customer for a year.

Supporters gathered outside the downtown Westport Starbucks with signs that read "Protect your workers Starbucks" "Black Lives Matter" and "racism is not tolerated here."

The employee, Dayshawn Rodriguez, turned to social media last week and detailed in a post that the customer, a woman, would sit inside of her car in the Starbucks parking lot and watch him for hours.

Rodriguez declined to speak with News 12 on camera because he says he is too overwhelmed by the incidents.

He says the woman has also called the store and asked the manager to have him fired, and that the woman has called him the N-word on several occasions.

Rodriguez says his store manager and team are trying their best to deal with the situation but they "can't do much but smile and greet everyone." 

Town leaders say the customer has been banned from the store, and Starbucks confirmed the customer has been restricted from other stores in the area.

In a statement, Starbucks told News 12, "None of our partners should feel harassed while in our stores and we take these matters seriously. Our stores are a place of community, where everyone is welcome, provided they contribute to a positive environment and an enjoyable experience. We are aware of the social media post, have thoroughly investigated the matter alongside local law enforcement, and have taken appropriate action to ensure the safety of our partners – which includes the formal restriction of the customer from our stores in the area."

Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe and TEAM Westport Chairman Harold Bailey issued a statement saying in part, "This experience and the motivations behind it are counter to everything the Westport community stands for and has horrified and saddened all who have learned about it. Within minutes of being made aware of this situation, the Westport Police Department responded with empathy and compassion in order to understand the full story of these events, to determine how the Starbucks organization responded and to offer support to the employee. Moreover, many residents offered direct assistance and support to the employee, as well as advocacy for him within the Starbucks organization."

Supporters from Fairfield also gathered outside the Westport Starbucks.