An Office Depot store in Portage, Michigan, has parted ways with an employee after the worker allegedly refused to print posters ordered for a vigil honoring conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, saying the materials amounted to "political propaganda," the company said Saturday.
The Kalamazoo County Republican Party placed the order on Friday afternoon for posters ahead of a vigil that night. According to party organizers and a video posted on X by local attorney and Republican activist Matthew DePerno, a supervisor identified as "Beryl" contacted the group nearly three hours after the order was placed to say the prints would not be completed because the content was political in nature. The receipt for the canceled order showed a charge of $56.17.
DePerno posted video of an in-store exchange in which a woman who identified herself as a manager told customers the location "doesn’t print political propaganda." In the footage another person pressed the manager on what made the request political; the manager responded, in part, "Because he’s a political figure," before trailing off. DePerno said the group then went to a FedEx location, where staff printed the poster and apologized for the inconvenience.
The posts drew rapid online attention and criticism of Office Depot, including calls to boycott the retailer. Several social media accounts and local activists shared screenshots of the receipt and the store interaction, and the video gained thousands of views within 24 hours, according to DePerno’s post.
In a statement posted on X, Office Depot said it was "deeply concerned" by the incident and that the associate involved is "no longer with the company." "The behavior displayed by our associate is completely unacceptable and insensitive, violates our company policies, and does not reflect the values we uphold at Office Depot," the company wrote. "We sincerely apologize to the customer affected and to our community for this regrettable situation." The retailer said it had contacted the customer to ensure the order was fulfilled and launched an internal review, and that it would reinforce training "to ensure our standards of respect, integrity, and customer service are upheld at every location." It was not immediately clear whether the customer was refunded the payment shown on the receipt.
The posters in question were for a vigil honoring Kirk, who was fatally shot during a campus debate. The 31-year-old commentator was wounded in the neck during an exchange with a student about mass shootings and later pronounced dead, according to reports and widely shared video of the confrontation. Organizers said the posters were intended for a prayer vigil held the evening the order was placed.
The episode highlights tensions over how retail print services handle politically themed material. Office Depot’s public response noted the company’s intent to review the matter internally and to take steps intended to prevent similar incidents.
Local leaders and customers criticized the Portage store’s handling of the request, while supporters of the company’s swift action praised the decision to remove the employee. Office Depot said it would reinforce training across its workforce to uphold customer service standards and community expectations.
The Portage store did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment beyond the company’s public statement, and representatives for the Kalamazoo County Republican Party did not immediately respond to a request for further comment Saturday.