A Chili's restaurant in Louisiana has terminated an employee, Wesley Kirk Ford Jr., who alleged on social media that his firing stemmed from a dispute over a nonbinary coworker's pronouns. Chili's, however, stated that Ford was dismissed for repeated instances of harassment that violated company policy.
Ford claimed on Facebook that he was fired for referring to a nonbinary coworker by their "actual legal government name" rather than their "chosen name," which he identified as "Fish." He further stated that he had never been disciplined or fired from a previous job.
A spokesperson for Chili's told Fox News Digital that the company disputes Ford's characterization of the events. "The individual was terminated due to repeated instances of harassment toward his fellow team member, which is in violation of our policies, to the point the team member was unable to continue the shift," the spokesperson said. "The terminated individual was repeatedly asked to stop the harassing behavior, but he refused."
Chili's emphasized its commitment to a respectful work environment, stating that "Harassment, bullying, or behavior that disrespects another person is not consistent with our values and is not tolerated." The company added that the terminated employee "excessively and unnecessarily mocked the other team member in an antagonizing manner to harass and intimidate," creating a hostile work environment and interfering with the coworker's ability to perform their job.
Ford posted a video of his termination meeting and indicated his intention to seek legal counsel specializing in First Amendment and civil rights cases.