A man who had welcomed shoppers at the Manitowoc Walmart for over 20 years is now out of a job.
A GoFundMe page has been created for Kenneth Schmitz, whom many knew simply as Kenny, as he was recently fired from his job.
The reason for his firing is allegedly that he would hug customers who asked for them.
The GoFundMe noted that Kenny never “did nothing wrong or inappropriate,” but rather, return customers would get to know him and initiate the hugs.
Many in the community have voiced their outrage and frustration over the firing, with social media posts popping up all over calling for the boycotting of the store.
This is not the first time the Manitowoc Walmart has been in hot water, as a previous employee won disability discrimination lawsuit against Walmart.
Marlo Spaeth, who is diagnosed with Down Syndrome, worked at the Manitowoc Walmart for over 16 years, consistently receiving positive performance reviews.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission noted in the lawsuit that store management changed the work schedule Marlo had for quite some time, causing major challenges due to her disability.
They then reportedly refused to accommodate her requests for different hours, and she began to have issues with absenteeism.
Walmart eventually fired Marlo, which the EEOC claimed was a discriminatory action.
Additionally, popular social media influencer Damon Darling, who gained popularity by buying strangers’ groceries, has been banned from all Walmart locations.
Darling posted a video on his TikTok page showing him being escorted out of an Ohio Walmart, and the police officer saying he had been banned from every Walmart as well as Sam’s Club and Murphy’s gas stations.
As for Kenneth, he had celebrated his 21st year with the company in May, and last year, on his 20th anniversary, the store made a now-viral social media post, where they said, “Thank you for all that you do!”
The GoFundMe is looking to help Kenny and his family cover essentials like groceries, utilities, and daily living expenses while he is out of work.
The organizer added, “The hope is that management does the right thing and reinstates him soon, but until then, we want to ensure his family is taken care of.”
