An African-American employee of a Walmart in New York has been terminated for picking up discarded cans in the parking lot of the store and redeeming them for a grand total of $5.10. But a female employee at the same Walmart was retained even though she was caught on security cameras stealing $20 from a cash register at the store. She just happens to be white.
First, some background: Thomas Smith, the fired employee, has done a remarkable job of completely turning his life around. In 2002 he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for an armed bank robbery he says he committed to pay for a heroin and cocaine habit. Released from prison in May, Smith–who has two teenage sons–was homeless for about four months before he was able to obtain residence in a boarding house in East Greenbush, New York. Smith remarked:
“I did the right thing and stayed out of trouble. I worked hard and did a good job. I ended up getting a raw deal.”
Smith was nearing the end of his 90-day probationary period on his $9 an hour job at the Walmart where he worked when he was informed by management that he was being terminated for theft. Smith’s job consisted mostly of collecting empty shopping carts from the parking lot where, as is true with any parking lot, customers often left their trash behind. He cleaned up the garbage for more than two months, but he was terminated for redeeming the $5.10 in cans and bottles he found discarded in the parking lot.
Then, on November 6, Smith was called into the security office and questioned by a manager and two security officers. Smith says he was told there was a rule against collecting empty drink containers, which are considered company property. Smith was captured on security cameras redeeming the cans and bottles, and he says that he was not offered a chance to explain himself:
“I didn’t know you couldn’t take empties left behind. They were garbage. I didn’t even get a chance to explain myself. They told me to turn in my badge.”
Something very interesting came out of that meeting with those who fired him: The manager told Smith that a store cashier, who is white, was caught on camera stealing $20 from a cash register and stuffing it into her bra. The cashier paid the money back and was not terminated because she has five kids.
Smith is considering a lawsuit against Walmart and says he feels like he was treated unfairly:
“This is an injustice. I was done dirty.”
A GoFundMe account has been created for Smith. You can contribute by clicking here.
