A Ford employee of 11 years was fired after being accused of stealing a $1.95 cookie, but was later offered his job back with approximately $33,000 in back pay after providing proof of purchase.
Kurt Kromm, 60, stated that on May 9, during his overnight shift at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, his blood sugar dropped. He stopped at a self-checkout kiosk to buy two cookies, needing to eat quickly due to his diabetes.
Kromm told The New York Post that when he attempted to pay with his debit card, the kiosk screen indicated a failed transaction. He tried a second time, but the screen did not display a confirmation. Believing the payment had gone through, Kromm returned to his work repairing robots and automated equipment.
A week later, Kromm was summoned to the labor office, where supervisors showed him surveillance footage and accused him of taking the cookie without paying. He was subsequently escorted from the plant and informed of his termination.
Kromm, bewildered by the accusation, began gathering evidence to prove he had paid. He contacted a former coworker to photograph the kiosk to confirm the cookie's price and reviewed his bank statements. He found a charge for $1.95 timestamped at 3:38 a.m., which he believes was for the cookies.
He then emailed screenshots of the transaction to Ford labor executives and union officials. Approximately 10 days later, the company requested a notarized bank statement. After he provided the document, Ford informed him several weeks later that he would be reinstated with full back pay and invited him to return to work.
However, Kromm declined the offer, citing the emotional distress caused by his abrupt dismissal and the lack of an apology from the company. He described the decision to not return as difficult, as he had considered Ford a "home away from home" and had intended to work until retirement.
Ford declined to comment on Kromm's specific case but stated that "there are times when we look into things and realize it could have been handled differently. When that happens, we try to rectify it."
Kromm also criticized Ford and his union, asserting that neither gave him an opportunity to explain the payment error. He also blamed Aramark, the food service company operating the plant's kiosks, alleging that they shared surveillance footage with Ford before verifying the payment status, which he believes triggered the theft accusation. Aramark has not publicly responded to Kromm's allegations.