What is that? Some chicken supervisor wants to keep his job so he surreptitiously calls the paper to say the story was a hoax?
More likely, credible denials by the store staff backed up by a suspicious lack of incriminating video on the store's security server. Then there was the fact that the POS server showed no mashed potatoes and sweet tea sold during the relevant time frame.
At the outset, KFC gave them the benefit of the doubt, saying they would investigate and make sure it never happens again and, BTW, here's $30k to help with the medical bills.
Now they're saying it's a hoax, but the little girl can keep the $30k. That's known as a cheap ad campaign!