The employee at an Overland Park, Kan. Vans store who was called out on video for discriminating against a 14-year-old boy for wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat has been fired following public outrage at the employee’s actions.
Video of the incident shows the mother of the boy confronting the now-unemployed man, questioning him on what he had said to her son before going to the store manager to make him aware of the situation.
Take a look:
Trump Derangement Syndrome is real. A Vans store employee at Oak Park Mall, Kansas told a 14-year-old "f*ck you" for wearing a MAGA hat. Let's get him fired. pic.twitter.com/PNkPqAxBci
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) February 17, 2019
“I tried to have a very respectful, very respectful conversation with him and it was disgusting how it was handled, to 14-year-old children that did nothing to him,” the mother said to the manager in the video.
Political commentator Ryan Fournier also tweeted that he spoke to the mother in the video, saying the family is “extremely grateful” for the support that they’ve received as a result of the video coming to light.
Here is Fournier’s tweet, in which he called the mother an “amazing mom”:
I just spoke to the mother in the video. Their family is extremely grateful for all of the love and support that has been pouring in and wanted to thank Vans for their fast response. She was standing up for her son who just wanted to wear his MAGA hat. Amazing mom.
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) February 19, 2019
“Our primary focus is to provide the best customer service experience,”spokeswoman for Vans Global Brand Communications Laura Doherty said in a statement about the incident, according to the Kansas City Star. “The actions and comments from one employee in our Oak Park location are in contrast with our company’s values and belief in personal expression.”
Whether you’re wearing an Obama t-shirt or a MAGA hat, you shouldn’t have to be subjected to persecution in your everyday life because other people are too ignorant to simply disagree and move on without confrontation.