An Oklahoma woman, Jennica Church, and her family have filed a lawsuit against Arby's, claiming that a former restaurant manager spat in her food and infected her with oral herpes.
The incident allegedly happened in late March at an Arby's restaurant in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Church said she had worked a long night and stopped at the restaurant's drive-thru to buy food for herself and her family.
The lawsuit alleges that Hendricks intentionally spat on the meat or sandwich ingredients while preparing Church's order. The complaint further claims Hendricks knew she had Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1), also known as oral herpes, when she allegedly spat on the food. The lawsuit also alleges that Hendricks had an active herpes outbreak with visible sores at the time and knew the virus could spread through saliva.
Soon after eating the food, Church said she developed unusual sores around her mouth that she had never experienced before. She later visited a doctor and tested positive for HSV-1, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit claims surveillance video from the restaurant shows Hendricks preparing the food, spitting on the meat or sandwich ingredients, and then serving the contaminated sandwiches, as noted by People report.
The lawsuit also alleges that when Church confronted the restaurant, Arby's staff tried to hide the truth about the surveillance footage. Church's family claims restaurant staff tried to settle the matter by offering them free sandwiches as compensation.
The lawsuit says Church's grandmother-in-law was also offered only $5 as compensation for the incident, as stated by People report. The family says the alleged incident has caused them severe emotional stress and anxiety. According to the lawsuit, the infection has also changed the way family members interact with each other because they now worry about spreading the virus.
Church's grandmother-in-law told KJRH that she is now afraid to kiss her husband because he also ate the food and may have the virus even if he has no symptoms. The family's lawyer, Will Blocker, criticised the restaurant staff, saying employees knew what had happened but did not stop the food from being served. Blocker also suggested the problem could go beyond the Broken Bow restaurant and said his legal team would investigate whether it reflected a wider issue involving Flynn Restaurant Group, which owns hundreds of Arby's locations.
The Church family is seeking compensatory damages, including payment for medical expenses, physical pain and suffering, and other losses. Amanda Hendricks has been charged with felony poisoning of food with intent to injure, according to KJRH, citing a court affidavit. It was not immediately clear whether Hendricks has a lawyer representing her.
Durva More is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she covers finance, and global news. She brings experience across digital and television journalism, with a strong focus on breaking news, business reporting, and international affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Durva worked as an International News Writer at The Economic Times, covering a diverse range of subjects including global politics, business, sports, entertainment, and major world events. She also worked as a Business Reporter with NDTV Profit. A postgraduate diploma holder in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Durva is passionate about field reporting and storytelling. She thrives on the adrenaline of chasing stories, speaking with people from different walks of life, and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard. Her reporting is driven by curiosity, accuracy, and a commitment to making complex subjects accessible to readers. When she is not chasing stories or covering breaking news, Durva enjoys reading books and painting. She loves exploring new ideas, meeting people, and learning about different perspectives. For her, both journalism and art are ways to understand the world and tell stories that matter.Read More