A longtime Walmart employee in Wisconsin has reportedly been fired after more than two decades on the job, and the reason has customers threatening to boycott the store.
Kenneth Schmitz, known to shoppers as Kenny, had worked at the Manitowoc Walmart for 21 years and was widely recognized as one of the store’s friendliest faces.
But according to supporters, Schmitz recently walked into work, received a hug from a frequent customer and was later fired.
The dismissal has sparked outrage in the community, where customers say Schmitz was known for greeting shoppers with smiles, fist bumps and hugs.
A GoFundMe launched after his firing claims he lost his job “for something completely beyond his control.”
“Customers loved him so much that they frequently initiated hugs to show their appreciation,” organizer Elizabeth Neely wrote.
“Kenny did nothing wrong or inappropriate, yet he was let go simply because of the affection shown to him by the community he served so faithfully.”
The fundraiser quickly gained traction, bringing in more than $8,000 toward its $9,000 goal in just two days.
Some supporters donated as much as $500.
According to the fundraiser, the money will help Schmitz cover groceries, utilities and other everyday expenses while he is out of work.
Supporters described him as a fixture at the Manitowoc store.
“For over TWENTY years, Kenny has been the smiling, joyful face at the doors of the Manitowoc Walmart,” the GoFundMe post said.
“Everyone who shops there knows his energy — he made it a point to brighten every single person’s day as they walked in and out of the store.”
Customers have also flooded social media with messages of support, with some saying they are considering boycotting the store over what happened.
“It’s sad he ALWAYS had a smile on his face,” one customer wrote on Facebook. “Fist-bumped, you saying how you doing. A hug is a greeting to make people feel good.”
Another customer said Schmitz had known her family for years and described him as a man with “a heart of gold.”
“Kenny is a great man,” she wrote. “At Walmart he always asked if he could give us a hug, and my little girl always ran up to him and gave him the biggest hug.”
Walmart told The New York Post that it does not comment on personnel matters.
The company’s code of conduct says employees may not engage in “offensive physical contact,” which can include patting, grabbing, pinching, intentionally brushing against another person or other unwanted touching.
It remains unclear exactly what led Walmart to terminate Schmitz or whether the alleged hug was the sole reason for his dismissal.
For many longtime shoppers, though, losing one of the store’s most familiar faces after 21 years has been a bitter shock.
At some point the stupidity has to stop. If this is true at all Wal Marts, then I may just have to go hug the worthless employees at mine and get someone who can do their job to replace them.