Home Depot workers claim unfair firing Home Depot workers claim unfair firing
By Ann Kelley
Published: June 2, 2007
MIDWEST CITY — Four former Home Depot employees claim they were unfairly fired from their jobs for helping police snag suspected shoplifters.
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Bob Stewart, 52, Nathan Wilhoit, 46, Steve Richard, 51, and Kyle Foust, 24, all of Midwest City, were terminated this week from The Home Depot, 1600 S Sooner Road. Their termination notifications stated they were fired for violating the company's loss prevention and safety conduct guidelines when they assisted police in apprehending three suspected shoplifters May 17.
"It's like we're being punished for doing a good deed,” Stewart said. "I didn't know part of our job was to let merchandise leave the store without it being paid for.”
The terminations are a personnel matter that officials with The Home Depot cannot comment on, company spokeswoman Sheriee S. Bowman said.
Bowman said a loss prevention policy is in place to ensure the safety of employees and customers, and protect the company against lawsuits should someone get hurt.
"Somebody's life isn't worth anything in the store,” Bowman said.
She said each store has a specially trained loss prevention officer to handle thefts.
The four men claim there was no loss prevention officer working in the store when the alleged thefts occurred.
Wilhoit said he was returning from lunch when he saw a suspicious car idling near an exit. He said he called Stewart on a store telephone to report his concerns and gave him a description of the three men in the car.
Stewart said two men entered the store and he watched them grab three chainsaws and a weed cutter and head for the door. He then called police, he said.
As the men attempted to leave, Richard said he asked to see a receipt. One of the suspects dropped the items and ran into the parking lot.
Foust said the other man punched him in the shoulder, prompting Wilhoit and a customer to wrestle him to the ground.
That man was arrested immediately after police arrived, Wilhoit said.
Wilhoit said he rode with an officer to find the other suspects. They found one of the men in a trash bin, he said.
The third suspect was apprehended in the parking lot, police reported.
Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said he is considering giving the four men commendations for their quick thinking and assistance that day. Without them, police may not have made the three arrests or recovered the stolen vehicle the suspects were in, Clabes said.
Foust said he had worked for The Home Depot for more than four years with a good work record.
The other three say they had all been with the company more than a year and had never been reprimanded.
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