Retail giant hit with backlash after firing woman for ‘Trust in Jesus’ message

Target is once again facing backlash over its politics, this time with the firing of a team member who displayed an expression of her religious faith on her name tag, apparently a big no-no at the big-box retail giant.

Devout Christian Denise Kendrick was working her shift at a store in Fargo, ND earlier this month when she was approached by a manager who told her that she could no longer wear the badge that had the words “Trust in Jesus” along with a drawing of a cross.

“I replied, ‘Well, I’ve seen people with rainbows on theirs.’ I’m going to continue to wear this name tag, and then they said, ‘Well, you can’t work here any more,’” she told Valley News Live.

(Video: YouTube/Valley News Live)

“I said, ‘Can I get it in writing why you’re firing me?’ and they refused to do that,” Kendrick said, explaining that when she was sacked she was only given a paper with information on who to contact regarding the company’s dress code policy.

“They gave me this paper with all these phone numbers on it and said, ‘If you have any questions about the violation of the dress code, just call one of these numbers.’ And he just kept repeating it, and we just kept going back and forth, and it was going nowhere,” she said of her termination which occurred on November 16.

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

According to the corporation’s policy: “Target 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.”

Social media users slammed Target over what they perceived to be discrimination.

“I don’t shop at Target! I hope that lady sues Target for wrongful termination! I am so sick of the intolerant left! They are all so wretched,” said one user on Reddit.

“I’m done with target too expensive and their quality is not any better. I’m sick of their left policies. If they’re gonna allow people to put rainbows and pronouns they have no reason not to allow her to put that,” another wrote.

One X user noted, “Jesus is offensive, but tuck swimsuits for young boys isn’t. A bit bizarre.”

The incident was more negative publicity for the Minneapolis-based chain which was badly burned over the promotion of homosexuality and transgenderism with rainbow colored “Pride Month” displays in high traffic areas of its stores and products that some suggested were meant to indoctrinate children into the alternative lifestyles.

Target responded to the outrage over Kendrick’s firing by reversing the manager’s decision and hiring her back.

“Upon learning of the situation, we conducted a review and determined that the team member should not have been terminated. We apologized to her and offered to reinstate her immediately,” a Target spokesperson said in a statement. “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.”

“My job has been reinstated, and yes I will continue to wear “Trust in Jesus” on my name tag,” Kendrick said in a social media post.

Chris Donaldson

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