Fla. man says Home Depot fired him over God button
 

Not Gods Home Depot...............

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_god_button_home_depot
Fla. man says Home Depot fired him over God button

By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer – Wed Oct 28, 8:35 am ET
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A former cashier for The Home Depot who has been wearing a "One nation under God" button on his work apron for more than a year has been fired, he says because of the religious reference. The company claims that expressing such personal beliefs is simply not allowed.
"I've worn it for well over a year and I support my country and God," Trevor Keezor said Tuesday. "I was just doing what I think every American should do, just love my country."
The American flag button Keezer wore in the Florida store since March 2008 says "One nation under God, indivisible."
Earlier this month, he began bringing a Bible to read during his lunch break at the store in the rural town of Okeechobee, about 140 miles north of Miami. That's when he says The Home Depot management told him he would have to remove the button.
Keezer refused, and he was fired on Oct. 23, he said.
"It feels kind of like a punishment, like I was punished for just loving my country," Keezer said.
A Home Depot spokesman said Keezer was fired because he violated the company's dress code.
"This associate chose to wear a button that expressed his religious beliefs. The issue is not whether or not we agree with the message on the button," Craig Fishel said. "That's not our place to say, which is exactly why we have a blanket policy, which is long-standing and well-communicated to our associates, that only company-provided pins and badges can be worn on our aprons."
Fishel said Keezer was offered a company-approved pin that said, "United We Stand," but he declined.
Keezer's lawyer, Kara Skorupa, said she planned to sue the Atlanta-based company.
"There are federal and state laws that protect against religious discrimination," Skorupa said. "It's not like he was out in the aisles preaching to people."
Keezer said he was working at the store to earn money for college, and wore the button to support his country and his 27-year-old brother, who is in the National Guard and is set to report in December for a second tour of duty in Iraq.
Skorupa noted the slogan on Keezer's pin is straight from the Pledge of Allegiance.
"These mottos and sayings that involve God, that's part of our country and historical fabric," Skorupa said. "In God we trust is on our money."
Michael Masinter, a civil rights and employment law professor at NOVA Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, said any lawsuit over religious discrimination might be a tough one to win.
"Because it's a private business, not one that's owned and operated by the government, it doesn't have to operate under the free speech provisions of the First Amendment," Masinter said.
"But we're not talking about religious displays here," he said. "This sounds more like a political message ... Wearing a button of that sort would not easily be described as a traditional form of religious expression like wearing a cross or wearing a yarmulke."

Not to hyped up on this one
 

I'm not too hyped up on this one.

If the company policy is only company provided buttons then that's it.

Reads like he POed somebody with the Bible and they cracked down on him.

If it was me I'd have taken it off to keep working there and then gone hunting for anybody with a non-company button - documented it - and then slapped the individual who nailed me and the company with a lawsuit.

Just my opinion, of course.

I'd agree with that, and about what I was thinking. Someone got all offended in the Lunch Room.

I think there is more to this than the article covers.

Sometimes I have the feeling our reporters are drunken has beens of the Pravada or Gramma. Who needs facts when we have poor writing skills and creative writing.


Or as someone else had mentioned, the news agencies to save money fired all the fact checkers, proof readers and anyone with real talent. (I added; real talent)

I think less.....
 

I think less. If the Company policy is "Only Company Supplied Buttons" then that is the policy - regardless of what the person's button says. The company has the right to police everybody's buttons.

But if the company's rep came down on him because of what his button said while allowing others to wear their own buttons then he has a case.

HD is a big company with lots of stores.

This is just my opinion, but employees have 128 hours a week to exercise their freedom of speech. During the 40 hours a week they work for me, they project the company image as it is outlined in company policy...if that means only wearing company supplied clothing and /or accourtrements, so be it...:munchin

Or just maybe...
 

This will really irritate some people but ...... Just maybe this guy is trying to set up another case of " See, this is just another example of the assault on our Christian values!!!" I can just imagine there are e-mails going around the country urging people to boycot Home Depot. "This is the result of the godless Democrats trampling on our Christian rights!!" IMHO, the guy is most likely a self righteous asshole.:munchin

Or maybe he's just a layabout looking for a large monetary settlement so he doesn't have to work for a living again...

The guy must not have been one of those evil-eyed goat starers or he would've seen that one coming!

I agree with Dad's assessment. We had a policeman over in Arlington who refused to remove the Christian cross he started wearing on the pocket flap of his uniform - claimed it was a 1st Amendment issue - he was shocked when he got fired and the courts informed him in writing that he was a dumb ass.

And so it goes...;)

Richard's jaded $.02 :munchin

More likely he started preaching and tried to 'convert' someone who found it offensive and said something. He was offered an alternative and refused. The policy is clear and he violated it.

If I were a judge I would dismiss the suit for being both frivolous and having no merit. Home Depot will most likely settle out of court though because it would be cheaper to do so in the long run and make it go away. It has the potential to be a public relations nightmare.

Yep. I have a hair length and color(natural hair colors only), clothing, piercing prohibitions and visible tattoos, general hygiene, and "other issues that are deemed by the owner to affect the image portrayed by our office as a professional work environment" policy in my office. Don't like it... don't let the door hit ya' in the rear.