Woman, 38, Alleges She Contracted Herpes After Arby's Ex-Manager 'Intentionally and Deliberately' Spit in Her Food, Explosive Lawsuit Claims
A former manager at an Oklahoma Arby's has been sued for allegedly spitting into a customer's food.
June 26 2026, Published 6:20 p.m. ET
A woman in Oklahoma has sued Arby's, claiming a former manager at the fast food restaurant spat in her meal, infecting her with oral herpes, RadarOnline.com can report.
She further alleged the worker knew she had the transmissible infection when she supposedly performed the shocking act.
The Two Had a 'History' Together
Amanda Hendricks reportedly had a beef with the customer.
Jennica Church said she had just finished a long night of bartending and stopped by the Arby's for a late-night meal for herself and her family.
"It was taking a little bit of time," Church told KJRH. "I thought they were mad at me because it was about to close."
It appears the delay was for an entirely different reason. According to court documents, Amanda Hendricks knew Church, and the two apparently had a "history" together, but Church has insisted it was nothing major.
However, for an unknown reason, she alleged "Hendricks intentionally and deliberately spat on the meat or sandwich components while preparing Plaintiff Jennica Church's order," according to the lawsuit.
"At the time Defendant Hendricks spit on the food, she knew she had Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1), commonly known as oral herpes."
The Manager 'Knew' She Was Infected
The customer brought the food home to her family.
According to the filing, a hungry Church ate one sandwich as she pulled out of the parking lot. She then brought the remaining food home and shared it with her husband and mother-in-law, who was on hospice care at the home.
After that night, Church’s mouth flared up, and the lawsuit alleges she developed a lesion or cold sore on her lip. Her doctor took a look at her, and she later tested positive for HSV-1.
Church has claimed that Hendricks knew she had an active herpes outbreak when she spat into her food, which she allegedly bragged about to others in their small town, before Church’s daughter heard about it.
Cops pulled cameras from the Arby’s and said the footage showed her handling sandwich meat while working on a slicer. Hendrick's then allegedly lowered her head toward the meat, and saliva could be seen "falling from her mouth and into the sandwich."
The Family Fallout Continues
Jennica Church said the manager had herpes and knowingly gave the infection to her.
Hendricks was arrested on a charge of poisoning food with intent to injure, which is a felony. But Church and her family say they are still dealing with the disease and its aftermath.
"My son was sitting at my table, eating breakfast and he wanted a kiss, and he could not get one, so you bet I'm angry," said Church’s mother-in-law, Patricia Dollarhite.
"I see what it’s doing to my grandchildren, my son, my husband. I don’t want to kiss my husband. He ate the food!" she added. "Because he hasn’t had an outbreak, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it."
Arby's Offered an 'Insulting' Settlement
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Church said her lips began to flair up, worrying her.
Church's lawsuit alleges the staff at the Arby's knew what had happened, and tried to cover up the truth. The store also allegedly tried to buy the family's silence, offering "free sandwiches as compensation for the incident.”
Dollarhite said she was offered "the insulting sum of five dollars as compensation for the contamination of food that resulted in a permanent, incurable viral infection," the complaint reads.
The Church family is suing for compensatory damages, including but not limited to medical expenses and physical pain and suffering. Their attorney, Will Blocker, said Hendricks isn't the only one at fault, as staffers reportedly did nothing to stop her.
"They let it go all the way out the door and my client now has a communicable disease," he said. "That has to be a culture deeper than Arby’s in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Maybe it’s Flynn Restaurant Group and all 300 stores they own. I don’t know, but we are going to find out."
