**A warning to our readers: this story includes disturbing language.**
BELLEVUE, Wis. (NBC 26) -- A local woman tells NBC 26 she was harassed by two construction workers outside her place of employment.
Amanda Pigeon has been a chef with Luna Cafe and Roastery for the past six years. She works at the Bellevue location in the Green Bay area. While the store has been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, it does take some preparation to reopen safely.
Pigeon says she was walking into work on Monday when a construction worker with an asphalt company called to her, "Black Lives Matter," in what she believed to be a sarcastic tone. She says she didn't want to engage with him, so she nodded her head and gave him a 'thumbs up.'
Pigeon says another one of the workers came up to her and made comments about "government money." She says he asked her if she had received any of that government money yet. She tells us she replied telling him that the business isn't hers. She says he then said it didn't matter because black people were just going to burn it down. She says she responded by saying she highly doubted that. She said he then stepped closer to her and said, "I have a bunch of coons like you hanging from my tree at home."
Pigeon says she hurried into the store front and told her manager who then took a few photos of the men. Pigeon says she also told her son, who was also upset.
Pigeon says later that night a man who wouldn't identify himself, called her and told her he was the owner of the asphalt company. She says he apologized, but then he also made excuses for the men.
"They did apologize, but also defended these men, saying well you know how construction workers are." said Pigeon.
NBC 26 reached out several times to the asphalt company. The owner told us he fired a man because of the incident and that there was also a level of miscommunication. We asked him for an interview. He told us he would not meet in person because he is receiving death threats after a post on social media. He then agreed to do an interview over the phone. We called him several times and he did not return our call.
Pigeon tells us she doesn't know yet if she will file a report with police, but hopes this serves as a lesson to be better to neighbors in our community.
"When you start telling yourself that you need to check yourself and you need to think twice, that's the first part of the learning process," said Pigeon.
