Tennessee Wendy’s Manager Charged After Tying Worker to Grill for TikTok

A former Wendy’s manager in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has been charged with misdemeanor simple assault and false imprisonment after allegedly tying a neurodivergent co-worker to a kitchen grill with garbage bags during an Aug. 30 shift. Police said Michiko Burton, 19, admitted restraining the employee but claimed it was part of a TikTok trend; a co-worker’s video and the victim’s family later prompted authorities to reopen the investigation after the employee initially said he was not injured. Wendy’s fired Burton, and the case was referred to Adult Protective Services and the police department’s Special Victims Unit. Burton was arrested Sept. 17 on a $2,000 bond, with a court date scheduled for Oct. 22.