http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_god_button_home_depot

By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer 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."

What I don't get is that he wore the button for over a year and they JUST fired him. :confused:

When did the Pledge of Allegiance become offensive? This makes no sense to me at all.:confused:

What I don't get is that he wore the button for over a year and they JUST fired him. :confused:


^^^This. For a year and a half, no one did anything to him. Now all of a sudden, they fire him?:confused:

^^^This. For a year and a half, no one did anything to him. Now all of a sudden, they fire him?:confused:
I know - to me, that's the most baffling part of this story. :confused:

I don't see the logical reasoning in this but I guess private companies have the authority to fire people on a whim for whatever reason.

No "Free Speech" rights for a private company.

I don't see the logical reasoning in this but I guess private companies have the authority to fire people on a whim for whatever reason.

No "Free Speech" rights for a private company.
Yeah, and I think that the defense has a big edge in the fact that the employee wore the button from March 2008 and was fired in October 2009. What's up with that? Did customers complain? I have a feeling a lot more is going on here than we're not being told.

Yeah, and I think that the defense has a big edge in the fact that the employee wore the button from March 2008 and was fired in October 2009. What's up with that? Did customers complain? I have a feeling a lot more is going on here than we're not being told.
I think it's very telling that the company only took action after he started reading his Bible on his lunch hours. I have a feeling this is more about his Bible than it is about his button.

I think it's very telling that the company only took action after he started reading his Bible on his lunch hours. I have a feeling this is more about his Bible than it is about his button.
Plus he was reading the Bible when he was off the clock. If he chooses to read the Bible on his free time, than the company should mind its own business. :mad:

If company policy states that associates can't wear buttons that aren't given to them by the company, then I don't see why he was allowed to wear his for over a year. They should have shut that down when it first happened.

If company policy states that associates can't wear buttons that aren't given to them by the company, then I don't see why he was allowed to wear his for over a year. They should have shut that down when it first happened.
Which supports my point that the button wasn't the real issue. The company didn't take any action against this employee until he started reading his Bible at lunchtime.(on his own time) I suspect one of his fellow employees saw him reading his Bible, didn't like it and complained. The company probably felt it would be less contriversial (and therefore they would get less negative publicity) if they blamed his dismissal on the button.

The thing is... he was treading in deep water when he wore the button and then brought his bible.

They should have asked him to remove his button when he started wearing it but I do bet one of his co workers didn't like that he brought his bible.

Why couldn't he just bring a book instead.

Plus he was reading the Bible when he was off the clock. If he chooses to read the Bible on his free time, than the company should mind its own business. :mad:



Totally. I have worked at jobs where guys were looking at porn magazines off the clock, and were noticed by the supervisors, but they said nothing.


Can anybody explain that one?

The thing is... he was treading in deep water when he wore the button and then brought his bible.

They should have asked him to remove his button when he started wearing it but I do bet one of his co workers didn't like that he brought his bible.

Why couldn't he just bring a book instead.
As long as he was reading his Bible on his break time, then why is it an issue? But I do agree with you that if the button was going to be such an issue, they should've asked him to take it off immediately, instead of waiting over a YEAR AND A HALF before firing him over it. ohno:

Totally. I have worked at jobs where guys were looking at porn magazines off the clock, and were noticed by the supervisors, but they said nothing.


Can anybody explain that one?
Double standard, anyone? :rolleyes: :mad:

If the button said "All hail the great Aliah", Home Depot would've been afraid to say anything.

If the button said "All hail the great Aliah", Home Depot would've been afraid to say anything.
I know - I don't know of any company that WOULDN'T be scared!

first you can't pray in shcool or bring your bibile now people are fireing people casue button sadi god bles american. why would that bug people? next we wont be able to say merry chritmas.

first you can't pray in shcool or bring your bibile now people are fireing people casue button sadi god bles american. why would that bug people? next we wont be able to say merry chritmas.

Too late... We can't say Merry Christmas anymore.

The thing is... he was treading in deep water when he wore the button and then brought his bible.

They should have asked him to remove his button when he started wearing it but I do bet one of his co workers didn't like that he brought his bible.

Why couldn't he just bring a book instead.
Why couldn't the man just be left alone to read whatever book he wanted to read on his own time??? I agree with everybody else, that this has everything to do with him reading his own Bible on his own free time and that ruffling up some feathers than it does over the button he was wearing. And I for one am really fed up with all this political-correctness bull! It's getting where people are offended now just by the mention of the word "Christmas," for example, when that IS what the holiday (that Christians celebrate) is called! It shouldn't be any more offensive to say "Merry Christmas" than it is for others to say "Happy Kwanza (sp.??)" or "Happy Hannukah (sp.??)" And it shouldn't be any more offensive for that man to bring a Bible to read on his own time during his own lunch period or wear a button with a phrase straight from the pledge of allegiance written on it than it would be for him to bring a Koran with him to read during his lunch period or wear a button that simply said "Home Depot" on it. Things in our society have really reached a point of being across-the-board ridiculous! :rolleyes:

I hope the poor guy sues and successfully wins. Wal-Mart did something like that to an employee where the store originated only a female was fired for living with her boyfriend or something to that effect. That's why my friend refuses to step foot in any Wal-mart store.

Why couldn't the man just be left alone to read whatever book he wanted to read on his own time??? I agree with everybody else, that this has everything to do with him reading his own Bible on his own free time and that ruffling up some feathers than it does over the button he was wearing. And I for one am really fed up with all this political-correctness bull! It's getting where people are offended now just by the mention of the word "Christmas," for example, when that IS what the holiday (that Christians celebrate) is called! It shouldn't be any more offensive to say "Merry Christmas" than it is for others to say "Happy Kwanza (sp.??)" or "Happy Hannukah (sp.??)" And it shouldn't be any more offensive for that man to bring a Bible to read on his own time during his own lunch period or wear a button with a phrase straight from the pledge of allegiance written on it than it would be for him to bring a Koran with him to read during his lunch period or wear a button that simply said "Home Depot" on it. Things in our society have really reached a point of being across-the-board ridiculous! :rolleyes:
EXACTLY. :nod:

Without prayer or God, this country would be more screwed up than it already is and that's saying a lot.

Without prayer or God, this country would be more screwed up than it already is and that's saying a lot.
Sad but true. ohno:

first you can't pray in shcool or bring your bibile now people are fireing people casue button sadi god bles american. why would that bug people? next we wont be able to say merry chritmas.
You can pray in school.

Without prayer or God, this country would be more screwed up than it already is and that's saying a lot.
In a lot of ways, Brandon, it feels like this country is ALREADY completely without prayer or God as screwed up as it is. :rolleyes: But, you're right. As bad as things are now, they could be a whole lot worse. At least we have SOME God-fearing people in this nation left! :rolleyes: But I don't think all the politically-correct jackals in the world, especially in our media and in our government, will ever truly be happy until there is NOBODY left in this country that believes in God.

In a lot of ways, Brandon, it feels like this country is ALREADY completely without prayer or God as screwed up as it is. :rolleyes: But, you're right. As bad as things are now, they could be a whole lot worse. At least we have SOME God-fearing people in this nation left! :rolleyes: But I don't think all the politically-correct jackals in the world, especially in our media and in our government, will ever truly be happy until there is NOBODY left in this country that believes in God.
This is so ridiculous. What could these so-called "politically-correct jackals" possibly stand to gain if there was "nobody left in this country that believes in God?" How, exactly, would this be beneficial to people? Do you believe that everyone who feels uneasy about organized religion is possessed by the devil and only exists to help reaffirm the Christian faith?

The whole "this country hates God"/"nobody wants us to go to church!" argument is so ridiculous and almost an insult. People act as if Christians are being treated like Jews during the Holocaust. There are how many active, operating churches in this country? Unless there are people standing at the door telling you not to go in every week, I don't see how Christians are being kept from doing their Christian thing.

We're not done yet. When I was a kid my grandmother used to tell me there are more good people in the world than bad people, otherwise the world wouldnt stand. You know what she was right. Lord do I miss that woman :(

That's just terrible and I hope he wins this lawsuit. If nothing else, I hope he gets some sort of compensation. There is a woman who reads the Bible every day on my bus going to work and no one says anything. I'm sure that she probably reads it at work too.

We're not done yet. When I was a kid my grandmother used to tell me there are more good people in the world than bad people, otherwise the world wouldnt stand. You know what she was right. Lord do I miss that woman :(
She sounds like my grandmother, who was the sweetest woman I ever knew, not to mention the strongest Christian influence in my life. They probably would've gotten along very well. :cool: :D

She sounds like my grandmother, who was the sweetest woman I ever knew, not to mention the strongest Christian influence in my life. They probably would've gotten along very well. :cool: :D



I think so, Lord I miss my grandma :(