Diner owner defends yelling at 2-year-old to stop crying

PORTLAND, Maine -- The owner of a Maine diner says she's not sorry for yelling at a 2-year-old child for crying in her restaurant because it got the girl to be quiet.

Darla Neugebauer, owner of Marcy's Diner in Portland, is defending her actions after a backlash on social media among people who say they'll never eat at the restaurant again.

Neugebauer wrote on Facebook that the girl had been crying for more than 40 minutes while her parents talked.

She told WCSH-TV that the parents ordered three full-sized pancakes for the child but ignored her, and claims they didn't feed her after she was served.

She says she slammed her hands on the counter and told the girl to be quiet.

The mother of the child wrote on Facebook that anyone with young children should understand that crying is normal after waiting a long time for food.