WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A former cashier for The Home Depot who has been wearing a "One nation under God" button on his work apron for more than a year has been fired, he says because of the religious reference. The company claims that expressing such personal beliefs is simply not allowed.

"I've worn it for well over a year and I support my country and God," Trevor Keezor said Tuesday. "I was just doing what I think every American should do, just love my country."

The American flag button Keezer wore in the Florida store since March 2008 says "One nation under God, indivisible."

Earlier this month, he began bringing a Bible to read during his lunch break at the store in the rural town of Okeechobee, about 140 miles north of Miami. That's when he says The Home Depot management told him he would have to remove the button.

Keezer refused, and he was fired on Oct. 23, he said.

"It feels kind of like a punishment, like I was punished for just loving my country," Keezer said.

A Home Depot spokesman said Keezer was fired because he violated the company's dress code.

"This associate chose to wear a button that expressed his religious beliefs. The issue is not whether or not we agree with the message on the button," Craig Fishel said. "That's not our place to say, which is exactly why we have a blanket policy, which is long-standing and well-communicated to our associates, that only company-provided pins and badges can be worn on our aprons."

Fishel said Keezer was offered a company-approved pin that said, "United We Stand," but he declined.

Keezer's lawyer, Kara Skorupa, said she planned to sue the Atlanta-based company.

"There are federal and state laws that protect against religious discrimination," Skorupa said. "It's not like he was out in the aisles preaching to people."

Keezer said he was working at the store to earn money for college, and wore the button to support his country and his 27-year-old brother, who is in the National Guard and is set to report in December for a second tour of duty in Iraq.

Skorupa noted the slogan on Keezer's pin is straight from the Pledge of Allegiance.

"These mottos and sayings that involve God, that's part of our country and historical fabric," Skorupa said. "In God we trust is on our money."

Michael Masinter, a civil rights and employment law professor at NOVA Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, said any lawsuit over religious discrimination might be a tough one to win.

"Because it's a private business, not one that's owned and operated by the government, it doesn't have to operate under the free speech provisions of the First Amendment," Masinter said.

"But we're not talking about religious displays here," he said. "This sounds more like a political message ... Wearing a button of that sort would not easily be described as a traditional form of religious expression like wearing a cross or wearing a yarmulke."

Or will all of the countries currency need to be reformed to remove the "one nation under" "in god we trust" (yeah, he who is without money knoweth not wtf it says) text?

I was trying to figure out how I feel about this, really. Personally, I thought that if his employer asked him not to wear it because it violated their policy, then he should be fired if he refused. Then I wondered if I only felt that way because I'm tired of Christians pushing their religion down my throat. Would I feel that way if they asked someone not to wear a pin that said something about Allah bless America?

I don't know, really. I do know that I'm tired of Christians thinking they own this country and they can do whatever they please in the name of their god.

Fair policy is fair.

Not really related, but honestly, who brings a bible to read on their lunch break?

Why do you care what others choose to read during their breaks?

What do you have against casual curiosity?

And clerics.

And ancient humans that can talk to snakes.

And zombies.

Edited, Oct 28th 2009 2:48pm by Belkira

Bullsh*t response by HD. They let him wear the pin for a year with no warning (I only skimmed the article, so maybe I missed that one) and then out of no where, they tell him to take it off, and weeks later, they can him? Bullsh*t move.

It was stupid not to apply the rules consistently, but that doesn't negate their authority.

It doesn't, but that doesn't mean you don't give them ample time to act. You're changing their work environment, you need to give them ample time to respond. Ultimately, they need to give him enough reasonable time (typically minimum of 2 weeks) before they enforce a rule that they've completely ignored for 18 months.

Secondarily, management may not have seen the button until someone complained. I suppose they could have a daily inspection, if they wanted.

If you have to wear a wight polo shirt and black pants to work as part of the dress code, then you can't wear a white polo shirt that says "Punk Floyd Rules." He would have been asked to wear a plain white polo shirt just the same as he was asked to remove the button, and he would have been fired for his refusal just as he was for the button.

Private businesses have the right to dictate reasonable dress codes to their employees.

He was offered a different pin to wear instead, approved as part of the dress code for employees. He refused, and was consequently terminated.

I fail to see the issue. Doesn't matter what's on the button, if it's against the policy and he is refusing to remove it, they have every right to fire him.

Not when they failed to enforce it for 18 months.

If this happened to my company, we could be sued for wrongful dismissal. I'm not sure why you all think it's ok. It's no wonder unions hold so much power down there. They're the only ones who will fight for your rights.

Well, really, depending on the size of the pin, it's quite possible management didn't realize what it said until it was pointed out to them.

Also, most states are "at-will employment,"

Also, most states are "at-will employment," meaning that an employer can fire you for any reason, and they don't have to tell you why. It's quite possible that they never said they fired him because of the pin, but he's assuming that's what happened since it was the last thing he was reprimanded on.

If you park in a handicapped spot without proper documentation 10 days and get ticketed on the 11th, are you going to also argue that you cannot be ticketed because nobody said anything the first 10 days?

A rule is a rule. Whether enforced by your manager or your government, rules are in place to establish boundaries for acceptable behavior. In the case of the button, he was expected to dress appropriately and chose not to, despite being given a chance to correct the violation. If you get caught speeding, the police officer has the discretion to let you go with a warning if he chooses to do so, or he can ticket you on the spot. Same with a manager and his employee. There is no requirement to give "adequate time" to adjust to a reported company policy violation, regardless of whether the employee had been getting away with it for some time.