Every day, millions of customers find themselves doing their shopping at a Kroger store. Shoppers flock to the grocer for a number of different reasons, from the friendly customer service to the wide selection of fresh and organic foods.
But all of Kroger’s positive aspects don’t mean the store has always gotten everything right. In fact, Kroger is now under fire after an investigation revealed some concerning violations on the company’s part.
A Houston-area woman says a teenage cashier at a Kroger supermarket in Spring, Texas, stepped away from the cash register and refused to check out her groceries because she was offended by the message on the customer’s T-shirt. It read: “Police Lives Matter / All Lives Matter.”
A woman identified as Meredith told the news station the teenager viewed the shirt as a “slap in the face to her and she was doing everything she could not cry.” Another cashier rang up her groceries.
“She made me feel ashamed to have the shirt on and I don’t appreciate that,” Meredith said.
Meredith said she talked to Kroger about the incident multiple times, but has so far only been promised that they will look into her concerns.
A Kroger representative told ABC 13 that the matter is being looked at; because a review has not been completed, they could not offer a comment.
Meredith happens to be a police officer’s wife, and she was showing support for her hero husband who puts his life on the line daily, serving and protecting the “offended” clerk and the other citizens of Spring, Texas.
Sadly, the cashier didn’t like what she was advertising and refused to ring her up, regardless of the fact that the employee is not in charge of anything other than running her cash register.
Right after Meredith left the store, she let others know what happened to her there, including Kimberly Colley who is the executive director of the Blue Bow Foundation, which supports police officers and their families. Colley was disgusted by this employee’s actions, but more so by the complete lack of response on the matter from Kroger
“Our husbands risk their lives every single time they put on those uniforms, they’re walking targets and this is the least we can do to show there is support out there,” Colley said. She added that her non-profit group, which used to support the store has cut off all ties with the retailer.
Meredith said that she doesn’t want the employee to be fired, but didn’t want anyone to be turned away for their beliefs.
“It’s important that people in the service industry know that no matter what if someone walked in with a Black Lives Matter shirt on they needed to still be serviced,” Meredith said.
Sources: OpposingViews, KTRK, Snopes, ABC13