(JTA) — A health food store in southeast New York fired an employee several days after he made anti-Semitic comments and actions toward her.
The worker at Mother Earth’s Storehouse in Ulster, New York turned the light off in the produce cooler and told an employee named Sarah “you’re in the gas chamber,” then called her a “f**king Jew.”
Sarah’s mother Jackie Winder Shabanowitz of Kerhonkson, New York, posted on Facebook about the March 11 incident on Friday. She also wrote that “Sarah went to management, they told her not speak about (it), removed her from produce which she has been for a year, and put her on the register. The coworker was forced to apologize but still has his job in produce. On Wednesday, the coworker harassed her again to which she reported to management.”
Two days after the second incident, the store posted an apology on Facebook and said that the employee had been fired, writing: “The Management of our Kingston store would like to apologize to our community for the upset that has occurred. The situation has been handled and the employee is no longer employed by us. We have never, nor will we ever tolerate hate. We were conducting an investigation.”
One comment in response said that “Instructing an employee to keep quiet about such a hateful and frightening experience was not intelligent or kind, and it amounts to further intimidation.” It also complained that the store took too long to resolve the issue. The store acknowledged in response to the comment that “Management mishandled this.”
Meanwhile, Sarah quit her job, local newspaper the Daily Freeman reported.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
