Family said a store manager fired Dennis Peek because "he wasn't able to do his job like a normal person."
A family in North Carolina is looking for answers after their loved one was fired from a job he's been doing for more than 20 years.
GASTON COUNTY, N.C. -- A family in North Carolina is looking for answers after their loved one was fired from a job he's been doing for more than 20 years.
Dennis Peek has Down syndrome and was planning to retire soon from a Wendy's restaurant in Gaston County.
Peek's family is now advocating for him after they found out he was fired without receiving notice.
They said a store manager fired Peek because "he wasn't able to do his job like a normal person."
"I'm out here because I need to be his voice for the way he was treated," Cona Turner, Peek's sister said. "He don't understand and we can't tell him he was terminated. We have not told him and we won't tell him."
Turner said she did not know what to do and took her heartbreak and frustrations to Facebook to spread the word.
Thursday morning, Turner said she received a call from the Carolina restaurant group that owns and operates the Wendy's saying he could be reinstated next week.
Cona stated in an update on Facebook that Peek will not be returning to work at the restaurant and will be having the retirement party he had been wanting.
co-wurker on October 9th, 2022 at 02:33 UTC »
This is what's really heartbreaking about it. His family knows how much that job means to him. For most people it's just a shit job, but for this guy it gave him a purpose and a way to be more "normal."
I have a daughter with special needs and that's all she wants - to fit in, to have a few friends, to be able to do things that "normal" people do. She doesn't understand when people are being mean to her and she would never be mean spirited toward anyone. She is always smiling and finding something positive because basically everything in life is hard for her, so she appreciates everything she can and she is so thankful for the smallest opportunity to feel normal.
I hope this guy's family gives him the best retirement party ever and never explains to him what his POS manager did.
Edit: Thanks for all the positive energy and the awards. It means a lot mostly because it's just nice to know people understand.
ivegotthis111178 on October 9th, 2022 at 02:17 UTC »
Every civil rights attorney frantically trying to contact him….
Retroreduxtexas on October 9th, 2022 at 02:13 UTC »
In the article his sister said that even though upper management said he can have his job back that she would not be sending him back there and that he would have his retirement a little bit early and have the retirement party he always wanted. I don't blame her one bit. I would not want to put him back with those people after they did this to him.