Fired Home Depot Employee Update

[RockaFowler]

Fired Home Depot worker to file religious discrimination suit

http://www.wptv.com/content/news/okeechobee/story/Lawyer-Home-Depot-button-case-discrimination/7K3ilt5G6kGIPnVjXj76dg.cspx

An Okeechobee man who was fired from his job at the Home Depot for wearing a button that reads "One Nation under God, indivisible," has hired an attorney to sue the company.

"I believe it is a religious discrimination case which is against federal law and state law here in Florida," said North Palm Beach attorney Kara Skorupa.

Last week, 20-year old Trevor Keezer said he was fired from his job at the Home Depot in Okeechobee after he refused to remove the button. It depicts an American flag with the phrase, "One Nation under God, indivisible."

Keezer said he wore the button on his Home Depot apron to show support for his brother, an army Specialist headed to Iraq, and to express his Christian faith.

He worked at the Home Depot for 19 months and said his managers never told him there was a problem with the button until last month. That was about the time he started bringing a Bible to work to read during his lunch breaks.

[crim son]

1. Oh, I don't like this.

The button would irk me every time I saw it, and reading the Bible at lunch is odd, to say the least, but firing the man was a bad idea.

[valerief]

7. I agree. I wonder if he was proselytizing, too, but they couldn't make that accusation.

Unless he was selling the faith on the job, I don't see a problem with it. And I'm no gawd fan.
'

[Hassin Bin Sober]

2. "express his Christian faith"

Express you faith on your own time and own dime.

As a customer, I don't want to hear you wacky bullshit when I am there to spend my money.

[NC_Nurse]

3. How about "support the troops" or something? Why do these people feel they

must advertise for the Almighty? Sheesh.

[Deja Q]

4. Like bumper stickers - you don't key cars with aphorisms you disagree with...

or in a respectful society nobody would...

I don't see what's wrong with wearing the button.

Then again, I might have double-standards: Wearing heavy metal t-shirts with slogans like "Metal up your ass" complete with a picture of a dagger-wielding fist coming up out of the toilet bowl is pretty much despicable... Then again, just how does a two-word phrase incite more vitriol than a four-word phrase complete with picture? That's the real question...


Sadly, the reference with the "metal" slogan was from Spring 1987. 22 years ago. I'd hate to see what's tolerated in middle schools these days...

[Ikonoklast]

5. I've worked with many different people that read religious books during their breaks.

Not a problem, as long as they didn't try to convert anyone. Bible, Koran, Book Of Mormon, no one cared.

But an employer has the absolute right to tell you what is appropriate and accepted wear while on the clock.

It matters not if the button has a religious saying, or a smiley face, or Mickey Mouse. Employer says "No more buttons", that's the end of the discussion.

Home Depot spokesperson Craig Fishel said he could not comment on specific personnel issues but that, in general, the company's dress code does not allow employees to wear "non-company buttons regardless of their message or content to be worn on aprons or other clothing."

Fishel added, "As you can imagine with 300,000 associates across the country it is important to have a consistent policy to make sure we are respecting everybody’s views and beliefs."

[Tesha]

9. I think I've seen the guy with the "Smile" button working plumbing in Aisle 13!

He said he was pleased to meet me, but hoped I'd guess his name first.

I guess it was some kind of "classical" reference.

Tesha

[Roland99]

10. Not sure Randall Flagg was a big fan of God, though

:)

[ixion]

6. Religion and spirituality are private matters

and best not dragged out in public. I hope this guy loses his case.

Would they feel the same way if it were a Rasta and he was going to spark up a doob?

[Fuzz]

8. +1