Home Depot Holy War (Florida man Fired for wearing God pin at hardware store)

Source: NBC Miami

Florida man Fired for wearing God pin at hardware store

Trevor Keezer said he wasn't on a crusade, he was just wearing a button to work.

The Okeechobee man says his love of God and country got him fired from his Home Depot job, after he wore an American Flag pin on his orange apron that read "One nation, under God...Indivisible."

Though Keezer, 20, wore the pin to work for over a year and a half, he said the button brouhaha didn't begin until he brought a bible to work to read during lunch breaks.

"That's when I was told it had to come off, or I would be sent home. So they sent me home for six straight days without pay. And then today they terminated me," Keezer told WPTV late last week. "It never crossed my mind to take off the button because I'm standing for something that's bigger than I am. They kept telling me the severity of what you're doing and I just let God be in control and went with His plan."

Keezer, a cashier, said he was wearing the pin to support the troops, including his older brother Steven, who is heading to Iraq in December for his second tour, while also expressing his Christian faith.

Read more: http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Home-Depot-Holy...

Just curious. What about this article tells you this man is an asshole?

...and has the nerve to sound indignant.

He chose to be fired for wearing a pin. Now he should suck it up and find a job that will let him wear his pin if it's that important to him.

praying on her lunch break. Everyone here would support her freedom of religion but not a Christian's.

Such ridiculous bullshit.

Do they have a company policy of "no pins or decorations on the uniform"?

I know I can't wear political pins or symbols during a campaign, and I'm also limited to one bumper sticker. I also can't advocate for the election of any particular political candidate while on the property, and depending on the context off the property.

DU's token former HD employee checking in:

I have a VERY hard time buying that this man was fired for wearing that pin. I've seen lots of overt expressions of faith on people's aprons, shirts and other garb. Moreover, no one would complain--especially in Florida, where Christianity is strong--about him reading the Bible on his lunch break. Hell, at my old store if he would have pulled out his Bible he probably would have found himself in an impromptu Bible discussion group. Lots of Christians work for that company, which goes without saying because they have over 300,000 associates and about three-fourths of the American public is at least vestigially Christian.

Off the top of my head, I'd say he was either disrespectful to a customer or he decided to go to a weekend retreat without getting time off first.

to point out in my earlier post. The hypocrisy on this thread is so thick that it would take two knives to cut it.

I lived at the foothills of the Ozarks for 19 years, and I knew many hillbilly fundamentalists. Some of them I considered my friends, and they were among the kindest most generous people I've ever known. I would never dream of denying them their simple expressions of religion or patriotism.

That being said, there are times when I can't help but find belief in gods and demons and such to be one of the more bizarre aspects of human behavior.

he thinks that because he has to follow the rules others hate God and America - hello: ASSHOLE

And then when the consequences happen, he sues.

I just re-read it. Can you find for me the part that mentions a lawsuit?

"Keezer's lawyer, Kara Skorupa, said she planned to sue the Atlanta-based company. "

http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_13660703

He was called an asshole within seconds of this OP.

Are rainbow flag pins allowed? NHS? Is there a ban on all jewelry?

a religious pin? I'm a Christian and will often wear pins or buttons expressing myself and I'm certainly no "fundie." As long as he's not shoving his beliefs down customers' throats or proselytizing on the job, then what's the fucking problem?

And would you say "moran, the boss makes the rules" if he were wearing a liberal political pin or something similar? Something tells me you'd be all over this boss if that were the case. Double standards are bad and wrong for our side as well.

Regardless, nobody should be pushing his religious beliefs at work.

Unless he's trying to proselytize the customers, I don't think simply wearing a pin is pushing your beliefs.

And whenever a Muslim or other religious person is given grief at work or in general for wearing the symbols or clothing of their religion, this place immediately jumps to their defense. But let it be a Christian and the double standard is quite obvious.

Otherwise, why bother wearing it.

In a store, I will go out of my way to avoid a cross-wearing employee. I'm tired of being ambushed. I just want to buy my hammer and go bang nails.

Their mythology clearly calls for them to try to "save" people (from rationality, I suppose).

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So he's an asshole for wearing a pin to work for a year and a half with nobody saying anything until he brought his bible to read during his own personal lunch hour? No proselytizing is mentioned in the article, so just who's the asshole here?

Sounds like god does not want him working there.

Republicans are atheists too. I would go so far as to suggest that any staunch Republican cannot be a follower of Jesus' moral principles, which are essentially socialist.

are beholden to, don't read Rand. They like libertarian economics, but it stops there. BTW, Bernie Marcus is not an atheist.

a Muslim headdress (sp?).

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It's all about reasonable workplace accommodations, worked out between employee and employer at time of hire.

This guy sounds like he was over-the-top, but not sure why the vehemence toward Christianity as opposed to some of the other choice religions.

some of us detest all religions equally.

Perhaps because here, in the United States, we have to cope with an American Taliban that sports a cross, not a crescent. No other "choice religions" seem to spawn such insanity so not sure what that part of your post means.

I'm no fan of the fundies but I don't see them hanging gays from cranes and beating (or outright killing) women who show some ankle. Calling them the taliban is nothing but bullshit. You don't think rioting because of a cartoon is insanity?

Care to explain what the hell you're talking about?

The taliban was the GOVERNMENT of Afghanistan...the gays getting killed in Iran are being hanged by the GOVERNMENT. The assholes beating women who aren't covered properly are GOVERNMENT employees. Are you understanding the difference yet? Or are you still going to push that moronic comparison?

Want to wear a Cross? Groovy. Want to wear a yarmulke? Great. Want to wear a Burka? OK.

Want to get political about it? Not good.

love of freedom of speech in this country? I am betting that if the man took this to the SCOTUS he would win. It is a form of speech just like a peace sign necklaces used to be. Think of all the jewelry that is made with various religious and other symbols. We wear them everywhere.

Now if he was preaching his ideas on the job I think that is different because he is not doing the job he was hired for. For that he should be fired.

I dislike fundies as much as the next DUer but what are we going to attach next? Bumper stickers? Wedding rings? Yes, Muslim scarves - we are not France? Headings on business letters? There are so many ways that we express ourselves that it would be worse that the PC police.

Home Depot can control the uniform they wan their employees to wear
and, apparently, an acceptable uniform *DOESN'T* include a button meant
to provoke debate and bad feelings on at least the part of some customers.

Sorry...

Tesha

your are implying that being like france is an insult?

where freedom of speech is more of a slippery slope. Home Depot tried to give him another button to wear but he refused. This may have nothing to do with his freedom of religious expression and have everything to do with what you are allowed to wear as part of your uniform.

Now, if one of these fundie churches interprets the Bible to say that all members must always wear their God pin, then you might have a real comparison.

There's a difference between dress required by the religion, eg a yamaka, and wearing a hat, pin, or t-shirt that says "Hey Everybody, I'm a <insert religion here>".

Once you start getting political about it? Not good.

but I've never been angry about the women who wear burkas or the Seihks with their turbans and knives, nor the christian crosses, et al. After living through the 60's & 70's and walking through airports full of mooching monks, I find all this censorship and religious oppression kinda disgusting. I was told by the police and government officials to shut up and mind my own damn business and now I expect people to do the same.

From Abercombie and Fitch for wearing a Muslim headdress.

The sentiment was the same. Leave your faith at home, it's not up to employers to accommodate you.

There would be 100 posts demanding the boycott of Home depot.

Don't stress, DU without hypocrisy would be like eggs without bacon.

Your claim that DU is some sort of monolith with a predictable opinion on all issues is nonsensical.

There are a number of posters - myself included - who would allow him to wear his silly little pin if we actually owned Home Depot. But the real owners of Home Depot are entitled to establish their own policies in regard to the company's employee dress code.

such a woman should not be forced or coerced into wearing Muslim "headdresses". Pleaase provide a link to any DU thread that supports your claims.

And insisted going on with his overt display of religionism despite company rules against that. I'd have just fired him outright since it's clear he has no sense. Surely there's a nice handicapped person waiting in the wings looking to replace the man anyway.

I wonder if "reading the Bible at lunch" was really screaming the Bible at his co-workers while they were trying to eat? Can't help but wonder.

he was probably making a real mess in the breakroom. Y'know, between the chewing and his lips moving as he was reading...

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but you can spell it P-O-S if you care to.
Thanks, brother!

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Was he attempting to hold a bible reading session in the lunch room by reading the bible aloud and refusing to stop doing so when asked? Mere speculation on my part but, given he raises the lunch time bible reading as the 'final straw', it strikes me as possible for sure.

He should be able to wear his pin and read his Bible, if he leaves other people alone about their beliefs. That's the problem, though. Most fundies are "called" to evangelize, which makes this a problem at work.

I wouldn't like to be fired because I brought a book about Buddhism to read at work at lunch, or if I wore a peace pin. sigh.

than we know.

If your boss pulls out the employee handbook and points to the section where it said that your peace pin is a violation of the dress code, asks you to take it off, and you refuse, would you not expect some sort of disciplinary action to be taken?

Why does it all of a sudden break the rules after that much time, except for religious discrimination when a bible is read on a person's lunch hour?
BTW, no proselytizing is mentioned in the article (and yes, there ARE fundies who don't try to do that).

Besides, the way the media is owned these days, I wouldn't be surprised if that was edited out because it might cast a negative light on his actions.

Tinfoil hats... there are never enough. That's why I always buy Reynolds Wrap in 200ft quantities.

Anyhoo.

What probably happened is this:

1. He began to get preachy with his co-workers.
2. Complaints were lodged.
3. Manager uses the company policy of no personal buttons as a convenient method of disciplinary action. Note, whether your boss lets you get away with small dress code infractions or not is immaterial... so long as there is pen to paper saying you agreed to the terms and conditions of your employment, that courtesy you are being afforded is not a right. If it proves deleterious to the workplace, even in the longer term, it can still be enforced.

Short answer, up to a certain point, this minor dress code infraction bothered no one and so was overlooked, but some event that we don't know about from the article may have happened to which the button was a convenient avenue of discipline.

then take it off.

will wait and see...isn't it almost time for the put christ back in christmas campaigns?

They did offer a selection of pins for him to wear in support of the troops. He didn't like the selection because none of them had god included with country. What a immature ding-wad.

Home Depot also has a policy of not permitting non-company buttons. They have that right. Sometimes we don't like it but it is their right.

The kid said, "I want to be a voice for the rest of the Christians and for the citizens of this country to stand up for the country."

My response to that... he shouldn't had gone to work for Home Depot or any company. Instead, he should had joined the ministry or military.

I can't imagine why Home Depot would care. And if his button was in violation of the company dress code, he should have been told so a year and a half ago.

I suspect there's more to this story than we're being told.


rocktivity

at the company where I work, I was told on the first day of orientation what the dress code was and that if I didn't adhere to it, I would be sent home without pay. When I signed on the dotted line to work here in exchange for a paycheck from them was when I agreed to abide by their rules.

Being sent home 6 times was direct insubordination, and Home Depot had a right to terminate his employment. He knew what the rules were and he chose to violate them to get some victimization publicity and be on fux noose tonight--just in time for the holiday season and the fake war on xmas.

especially where you are a cashier and you have to deal directly with the public as part of your job. Probably you could have gotten away with it if you were mostly a truck driver or you worked away from public scrutiny most of the time.

He who owns the gold make the rules - the golden rule.

I don't have a problem with the rightwing HomeDepot defended their business policy any more than I would have an issue with the same problem occuring at Lowes where I tend to shop more often (more Democrat friendly).

I would like to see a union in the building supply industry and workplace to represent people in his situation but even moreso for the politically-liberal Lowes in Florida, but this would be asking too much for a right-to-work state.

just trying to express himself with a little "flair:"



Maybe the employer has a right to dictate this, but seriously, just let the guy wear it. Next thing we'll all hear about religious oppression in "Obama's America" from the usual suspects, even though it's between this guy and Home Depot.

Problem is if Home Depot lets this guy wear his pin, then they have to let all the other employees wear their pins. And having worked at Home Depot, I can assure you that many employees would chose to wear pins that weren't in the best interest of Home Depot's corporate office.

Things like pentagrams, and "buy union". Both equally despicable to the suits.

This is a literal one.





Bottom line: Florida is an at-will employment state, so you can be fired for any reason without warning and you are shit outta luck. Crappy law, and I, as an agnostic-leaning-toward-atheist, still feel for the guy.

Anybody recall the woman (maybe Muslim? I don't remember the details) who was irate because she got fired from some grocery store for refusing to scan or otherwise handle pork products? It's pretty fair to say that a checker for a grocery store will, at some point, have to scan some bacon. Therefore, if touching the pack of Hormel was a problem for her- then she should have never applied for the job in the first place.

This scenario isn't so clear and obvious, but the simple fact is that an employer can make whatever rules they want (on the fly, even, so his claim of having worn the button for a year prior is irrelevant).

What's most funny about this is how the Fundies are all for (currently, or sometime in the past) EVERY single kind of discrimination EXCEPT when it comes to their religion.

Let the RW Corporation duke it out with "Christians" who need to advertise their faith and their politics as loudly as possible.

...as he didn't try to "Save" anybody.

primarily what the employee claims, which may or may not be accurate. Likely the employer's reps may not want to say much publicly for legal reasons.

They say they don't, but what they say and what they do are not always the same thing. I also wonder if the guy wasn't proselytizing - a lot of Christians don't understand why they can't try to force conversions wherever they go. No matter how often you say, no, I'm not a Christian, they fear for your soul and try to "save" you - I feel the need to save them also from the death cult so I understand and often try to "save" them right back.

OTOH, if others are allowed to wear extra-corporate decorations on their uniforms he'll have a case and I, for one, would support his right to free expression if he's being singled out - it's the best way to protect everyone's right to free expression.

around lunch time, all these guys who were friendly with him would scurry for cover because they were all such big babies and didn't want to tell him. "NO, we don't want to go to your stupid lunch meeting"

Now the company didn't care because our operation was not public, but he drove all the other folks nuts.

I remember one guy, who was actually a friend of his, hiding behind my door once to avoid detection. The Promise Keeper guy eventually figured out that people wanted to chit chat and have lunch and not have a sermon every day.

and nobody batted an eye. During the Clinton years.

don't believe in god. What next he brings his bible and then he wants to start preaching to people on his and their lunch hour holding bible studies. Who next a Jew, a Muslim, a Catholic, a Budist and on and on. The problem christians forget there are other religions and they will want the same thing. This is a place of business. Its nice the man is a christian but leave it in your car, home or church and don't bring it to a business. I am a believer. I remember one time I was working on a military base in a recruiting office. My boss walked by my desk and saw a Guidepost on my desk and he told the SGT to tell me to put it away that it didn't have a place in the office. I did. Guess what I lived and moved on as soon as I could.

...then his pin is not an exception to the rule.

From the article:

"Home Depot told WPTV that the company doesn't allow non-company buttons, but that it has a proud history of supporting the military and has its own buttons for employees to wear."

~~Ibid.~~

So my Wiccan pentacle pin would be outlawed at work just the same and so would my secular scottie pins. I see no problem.

to fight against the obvious intolerance.

"he wore an American Flag pin on his orange apron that read "One nation, under God...Indivisible."

I think this is offensive only for some sort of anti-American element .If his job as casher was OK court for sure will reward some serious money

The company policy is no pins except for what the company gives you for company related business. Meaning you can't wear any of your own pins, no matter what they say. It would only be religious discrimination if the company had said, all religious pins are allowed, except for certain religions.

guy was doing his job as casher properly ,I don't see how small dime size pin could possibly interrupt with that .As for what HD says ....they still live in America

He needs to adhere to company rules. HD isn't paying him to advertise his thoughts and feelings. He's free to do that the other 128 hours a week.

They can dictate the shoes, pants, shirt, smock, and even the pins that their cashiers can wear.

He wore the pin for over a year and a half and nobody said a word until he brought a bible to read during his own personal lunch time. That's definitely religious discrimination.

Religious people don't get a pass just because they're religious. The rules are clear.

He was allowed to wear that pin for over a year and a half and nobody breathed a word until he brought his bible to read during his own lunch time.
Yes, that's religious discrimination.

Just sayin'.

of a religious zealot assuming incorrectly that the rules don't apply to them because of their religious beliefs.

Fire his ass.

From the article:


I'm an old lady, all the jobs I've had through the years my employer dictated how I presented myself to the public or work area. Shoot, I remember that we couldn't wear slacks to high school/work. It was dress or skirt.

This young man was the face of Home Depot. If wearing that pin (and none of us has seen it), was meaningful to him, he could have easily pinned it to his t-shirt, or somewhere out of sight while on the job.

The store has pins employees can wear to honor those in the service.

I could be wrong, but seeing that he is only 20, most likely he is living with his parents, and doesn't have the worry about the never-ending household & grocery bills. It's easy to stand on self-principals when you have less responsibilities in the world.

I've a 20 year old son, I'd tell him either abide by his employer or find another job - but to find the next job first.

Supports my general belief that this is a crusade; part economic, part religious warfare. God and capitalism going hand in hand since the crusades.

He does it to support the troops. Seriously.

I may have overstepped my line of reasoning ... People can do just about anything to support the troops. It is a knee jerk reaction (Crusade analogy) of mine, when God and Iraq war/support of troops are connected. I think even GWB said in an interview that God told him to invade Iraq.

but, this, like all rights granted to us, comes with a price. I think it sucks for the guy, but there is a price for freedom of expression. I think it sucks for the Home Depot manager to make this decision as well. But, this is they way it is supposed to work.

No one said your right to freedom of expression would be easy, they just simply said you have the right.

your freedoms are for your own time.

you have the right, but your employer also has the right to fire you for it. But there is no restriction of your rights in the workplace. It is however policed, if you will, by the possible punishment from the company, but you have the right to express whenever/wherever. It's just expressor beware if you will.

since you can be fired by your employer for doing so, you obviously have NO GUARANTEE of free speech in the workplace.

look I think we both agree on the same thing, just disagree slightly on semantic things.

(i'll bet you know where this is going)

would they have the right to scream "FIRE!"? (assuming there is no fire).

i understand what you're saying- but the fact is- if you DID have a guarantee of 'free speech' in the workplace- it would mean that you couldn't be fired for exercising it.

most workplaces won't let you bring guns in, either.

and what the amendment actually says is that "congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech"...it doesn't expressly say that free speech is guaranteed everywhere at all times.

but laws abridging speech DO exist. libel, for instance.

in a yellow pages ad or on a business' signs, I try not to do business with them.
I have learned in my community that they will usually charge me more than other businesses, those that do not sport the fish sign.
I imagine they give preferential rates to their fellow fish people and must make it up on those who are not fish people. This is a sentiment shared by many in this rural area.

Symbols are meant to elicit responses - the kid should do his eliciting on his own time - not time paid for by Home Depot.

I've found that usually if a person dismisses one group there are others.

the fish is a symbol expressing that the person or business belongs to a clique. It is to inform others in that clique.

Did someone say he used to work for Lowes? Or is it that Lowes is now going to hire him? Home Depot used the Bible belt and spanked him all the way to Lowes. It's hell out there!

Have worked in the public. Most stores do not want you wearing things like that pin because they cater to everyone, not just Christians and therefore do not want to appear as if they favor one religion over another. Besides, he was warned and he chose to ignore the warning. So he had to pay the price. My feeling after reading the last paragraph is that he is on a crusade and wanted them to fire him to gain notoriety for himself.

that you can't eat or pay bills with principles.

If they don't interfere with my job, he's got nothing to say about it.

NT!

Just because a policy is long-standing doesn't automatically grant fairness, correctness or legality to it.

You're wrong on this.

Sorry, but it isn't. There's no reason why, as a prerequisite of employment, that anyone should be forced to deny any aspect of their faith if it doesn't interfere with their job, and adopt someone else's idea of what is acceptable.

That's what religious freedom is all about.

A Mormon can wear his magic underwear, a Jew can wear his yarmulke, a Christian can wear a cross, etc etc. These things don't effect his ability to do the job - move stock, assist customers, & run a cash register.

those items are required wear for some people (and, of course, no one sees the underwear). Buttons and jewelry are not required wear.

I'll bet what we're not hearing is that he began to be obnoxious in the breakroom when he started bringing his Bible in. Religious freedom gives you the right to worship as you choose, it does not give you the right to try and force your beliefs on others.

And since there's no indication in the article that Mr Keezer was lying when he said he wasn't engaged in proselytization, there's no basis for you to say he was.

a person to wear a cross or a crucifix (or a button especially one like this guy was wearing) at all times the way an Orthodox Jew is expected to wear a yarmulke or a Morman wears a garment (I believe that is the correct name for "magic underwear"). I was raised Catholic and in grade school we were encouraged to always wear a scapula (I don't know anyone who did after the first week they got one) but that was under our clothes as well, there were no rules about always displaying a religious symbol.

No, there is nothing that says the guy was prostelytizing and I did make it clear I was speculating. Home Depot, I suppose for legal reasons, is staying fairly quiet I just can't quite imagine why they'd fire the guy for reading the Bible to himself at lunch time. If they did, then he may have a case, but if he was inflicting others with his beliefs, he should have been fired.

Once again, you're completely wrong about this. He has every right to wear his pin -- at another job that allows it.