A man with Down syndrome was fired on the eve of his retirement with no notice from his Wendy’s job after being employed with the company for two decades. Then, public outcry forced ownership to intervene.
Dennis Peek, 53, had been employed at the Wendy’s in Stanly, North Carolina, for over 20 years. Peek, who has Down syndrome, would clean up after customers inside the restaurant, washing tables and chairs. During his long tenure with the restaurant, he has been able to perform specific duties within his abilities.
But before being dropped off by a caretaker for a shift last Wednesday, Cora Turner – Peek’s sister – told WBTV that a manager fired him, and told Turner over the phone. It came as a shock, and Turner was devastated.
“He is my baby brother; I got guardianship of him when my mom passed; he’s like my kid; he’s mine now,” said Turner to WGHP. She complained he had been given no warning. “She just terminated him, she said she had a job that needed to be done, and he wasn’t doing it […] I was very upset, I was very upset,” she said.
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Since posting about the incident on Facebook, Peek’s firing has gone viral. Turner said in the post that he had been fired due to the limitations on his skills. “They told me [he] was unable to perform the duties of a normal person’s job,” she wrote. “They have no idea how they hurt my brother!”
Described as a fun-loving individual who always had a smile on his face, Dennis said had always wanted to work at Wendy’s because of the food. “A lot of food to eat. It’s good stuff. I love Baconator,” he said. “I love my job at Wendy’s.”
Peek had been looking forward to his retirement, but now Turner does not know what her brother will do. “He don’t understand and we can’t tell him he was terminated. We have not told him and we won’t tell him,” said Turner.
The Carolina Restaurant Group, which owns and operates the Wendy’s, contacted Turner as her Facebook post gained media attention. It insisted that the firing was a mistake and that Peek could be reinstated the following week. “We are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for our employees and our customers. This was an unfortunate mistake and lapse in protocol; we are in touch with the employee’s family, and we are looking forward to welcoming him back to work in the restaurant,” the Carolina Restaurant Group said in a statement.
Disability Rights North Carolina has voiced their concerns about the Peek’s firing. “It turns into discrimination, especially when somebody’s making generalizations about someone’s disabilities and stereotypes about what they can and can’t do, when it’s no longer based on what they’re doing, but fears around their own limitations,” said attorney Christopher Hodgson to WSOC.
When questioned about the manager who fired Peek, the Wendy’s Media Relations department responded with a statement, according to WCCB Charlotte: “We cannot comment further on personnel matters, but we’re taking appropriate action. This was an unfortunate mistake that we’re working through with the team member, his job coach and family. We’re also using this as an opportunity to retrain all our teams on our protocols.”
Turner said in an update to her Facebook post that, although Peek had been offered his old job back, he would be retiring instead. “Dennis will not be returning to Wendy’s,” she said in her latest update to her post. “He will be having his BIG RETIREMENT party that he has been wanting. Wendy’s has offered to help with expenses and anything else they can for his special day. I feel in my heart at this point I should do what is best for my brother.”
