Karma hit hard as Starbucks has officially terminated an employee who wrote “PIG” on a cup of hot mocha ordered by an Oklahoma police officer while on duty… away from his family on Thanksgiving Day, the company said.
According to Kiefer Police Cheif Johnny O’Mara, the officer, a member of the Kiefer Police Department, went to the Starbucks in Glenpool to pick up five beverages as a show of appreciation for 911 dispatchers supporting officers over the holiday. Kiefer is located about 20 miles south of Tulsa.
When the policeman obtained his order and saw the word “PIG” emblazoned on the cups’ tags, he contacted the police chief, who called the shop and also spoke with a manager.
O’Mara shared a picture of one of the cups on Facebook, triggering a firestorm for Starbucks.
“What irks me is the absolute and total disrespect for a police officer who, instead of being home with his family and enjoying a meal and a football game, is patrolling his little town,” O’Mara reportedly captioned the post before taking it down, according to the New York Times.
The beverages were clearly marked “PIG” instead of a customer name. (Image Credit Rating: Offered)
O’Mara likewise claimed in the Facebook post that the label “pig” is “another tiny symptom and a nearly indiscernible shout from a contemptuous, roaring and riotous segment of a misanthropic society that vilifies those who stand for what’s right and glorifies the very people who would usher in the destruction of the social fabric.”
“One of my on-duty officers decides to do something nice for our dispatchers,” O’Mara wrote. “This is what he gets for being nice.”
Chief O’Mara indicated to the press that the employee who printed the offensive label reached out to him and apologized after, but attempting to excuse the behavior as a joke.
KARMA Hits Hard As Starbucks Struggles To Save Face
Starbucks released a statement on Thursday verifying that the staff member had been terminated for the “unacceptable” actions.
“This is absolutely unacceptable, and we are deeply sorry to the law enforcement officer who experienced this,”
“We have also apologized directly to him and connected with the Chief of the Kiefer Police Department as well to express our remorse,” the statement read.
“The Starbucks partner who wrote this offensive word on a cup used poor judgment and is no longer a partner after this violation of company policy. This language is offensive to all law enforcement and is not representative of the deep appreciation we have for police officers who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe,” The company added.
After to the barista’s dismissal, O’Mara informed Fox Information on Friday that he would certainly like Starbucks to assess their decision.
O’Mara said, “I’m asking for civility here, Starbucks is working very well with me and my department, and we’re hoping we can take this moment, where a mistake was made, and turn it into something that highlights the ability to be civil to one another.”
On Friday, Starbucks and the Kiefer Authorities Division released a joint statement describing a brand-new project aiming at developing solid connections in between regional police officers as well as residents.
The statement said,
“In the coming days, Starbucks will be meeting with the Kiefer Police Department to begin discussing ways to work together, including a jointly hosted Coffee with a Cop event at Starbucks where local law enforcement can meet with baristas and members of the community to discuss the critical role dispatchers and police offers play in keeping our communities safe, together with law enforcement agencies, Starbucks will jointly look for educational opportunities for our partners across the United States to promote better understanding and respect.”
It was later reported that the manager of that Starbucks location was also terminated following the incident, she would go on to claim that “I was terminated from my position because, Starbucks was looking for someone to take the blame for this and to save some face from their company,”
That Karma though…
Sources: Taphaps, Nypost, Wsav
