A former employee of a Chili’s in Louisiana went viral after revealing that he was fired for refusing to use a co-worker’s preferred pronouns, however the restaurant is telling a different story. According to Chili’s, the man was booted from his position due to allegations of repeated harassment that violated company policy, not for his views on gender identity.
The former Chili’s worker, Wesley Kirk Ford Jr., stated in a post on social media that he was handed his pink slip after referring to a co-worker who identified as nonbinary as “her actual legal government name.” The restaurant is claiming that is not true, saying Ford repeatedly mocked and “intimidated” the individual despite being asked to stop.
“While we normally do not comment on people-related matters, we believe it is important to clarify the actions taken in this situation,” a spokesperson for Chili’s said to Fox News Digital. “The individual was terminated due to repeated instances of harassment toward his fellow team member, which is in violation of our policies, to the point the team member was unable to continue the shift. The terminated individual was repeatedly asked to stop the harassing behavior, but he refused.”
According to a report from Fox News, the spokesperson then said, “Harassment, bullying, or behavior that disrespects another person is not consistent with our values and is not tolerated. As always, our focus remains on supporting our team members, caring for our Guests, and maintaining a respectful environment for everyone who works or dines with us.”
Ford took to Facebook where he wrote about the incident, saying, “I just got fired from Chili’s in Denham Springs for calling a nonbinary coworker by her actual legal government name lolol. I now need to find a new job.” He then said, “I also need to find a first amendment/civil rights attorney. I will post more details on exactly what happened after I wind down some because I’m fired up right now lolol.”
A few days later, Ford posted a video on his Facebook account saying he was fired for refusing to address the employee by their “chosen name,” which he said was “Fish.” He then revealed that prior to this incident, he had never been fired or disciplined at a job. “I’m not participating in that s**t anymore,” Ford said.
“Like, I don’t care. I don’t care, I put my foot down. And I’m just not, I’m not participating in it,” he said in the video. Chili’s is maintaining that Ford was committing harassing behavior. “In this instance, the terminated team member excessively and unnecessarily mocked the other team member in an antagonizing manner to harass and intimidate,” the spokesperson stated.
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“This conduct was intentional, targeted, and designed to provoke a reaction. These repeated bullying actions created a hostile working environment and interfered with the ability to do their job,” the spokesperson added. Conservatives took to social media platform X where they made calls to boycott Chili’s over the incident.
“Time to boycott Chili’s (aka Bud Light style) !!!” user Matt Pensa commented. “You have a lawsuit mister, get yourself an attorney who will work for you. You don’t have to participate with nonsense. Sue for emotional distress,” another person wrote. “Support him! He does not have to participate in pandering to a mentally delusional person!” someone else said.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video