Target Apologizes for Firing Employee Over Religious Name Tag

The national retailer Target has issued an apology after facing backlash for terminating an employee who refused to remove a name tag featuring a religious expression.

The incident occurred at a Target store in Fargo, North Dakota, where Denise Kendrick, a cashier, was dismissed for wearing a name tag that included the phrase “Trust in Jesus” alongside her first name. Kendrick had been wearing the name tag since Halloween. 

In a YouTube video, Kendrick, who held a second job at Target, stated that she was directed to remove the name tag on November 16. She claimed her manager cited the megastore’s dress code policy, stating that the inclusion of a religious expression violated company rules. 

“I replied, ‘Well, I’ve seen people with rainbows on theirs,” Kendrick said she told her manager. “I’m going to continue to wear this name tag,’” she added, “and then they said, ‘Well, you can’t work here anymore.’”

“I had no problems with anyone approaching me with my Christian shirts,” Kendrick recalled.

According to Valley News, a local daily, Target told the publication that it had conducted a review of Kendrick’s firing and determined that it was unjustified. Following the apology, the newspaper said, Target offered to reinstate Kendrick as an employee immediately.

“They really stepped up and so I am excited to resume my appointment with Target and I don’t have to worry about any of they any more,” Kendrick said in the YouTube video, adding: “This battle ended in peace and that’s all I could have asked for.”     

Kendrick stated that she requested a copy of the store’s dress code and asked someone to show her where it specifically prohibited having a religious statement on her name tag. 

“They handed me a sheet of paper with a list of phone numbers and said, ‘If you have any questions about the dress code violation, just call one of these numbers.’ Kendrick said, referring to the store’s management. He explained that her supervisors kept repeating that, “and we just kept going back and forth, and it was going nowhere.” 

Target makes clear on its official website that the company is an “equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination, and will make decisions regarding employment opportunities, including hiring, promotion and advancement, without regard to the following characteristics: race, color, national origin, religious beliefs, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, military status, marital status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local fair employment practice laws.”  

Target does not publicly share its dress code policy online. “The team member should not have been terminated,” a spokesperson for the retailer stated, adding:  “We are taking the appropriate steps to address the actions taken by the individual leader involved in this situation and are working with the store to ensure our policies are appropriately followed moving forward.”

Photo credits: Target Store by Mike Mozart via Flickr. CC BY 2.0.