Kurt Kromm, a 60-year-old Ford employee with 11 years of service at the Kentucky truck plant in Louisville, faced a career-altering incident on 9/5. He was dismissed from his job after being accused of stealing a $1.95 cookie from an Aramark self-checkout kiosk, an accusation stemming from a payment processing error.
Early that morning, Kromm, who suffers from diabetes and was experiencing low blood sugar, attempted to purchase two Grandma's chocolate chip cookies. He swiped his debit card, but the machine's screen flashed red, indicating a failed transaction. He swiped his card again. This time, the machine did not display the usual green confirmation but also did not refuse the payment. Believing the purchase was complete, Kromm returned to work.
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Kurt Kromm packs his belongings, leaving Louisville, Kentucky after being fired by Ford. Photo: New York Post |
One week later, on 16/5, Kromm was summoned to an office by two supervisors. There, supervisors showed him surveillance video from the Aramark self-checkout machine, which allegedly depicted a failed transaction. Based on this, they terminated him for theft. Ford immediately escorted Kromm out of the plant, denying him access to his personal belongings. "They fired me, then escorted me out of the building," Kromm recounted. "I even had to ask a union representative to retrieve my personal laptop because they wouldn't let me take anything."
Determined to clear his name, Kromm began collecting evidence to prove he had paid the $1.95. He asked a former colleague to photograph the kiosk displaying the cookie's price. Crucially, he rechecked his bank transactions and discovered the charge. "The charge was there. It was on my card statement, the first charge of the day at 3:38 AM," he stated. He promptly sent screenshots of the transaction to Ford's union executives and union officials.
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The Aramark self-checkout machine inside Ford's Kentucky truck plant, showing the .95 cookie price that Mr. Kromm purchased. Photo: NY Post |
About 10 days later, Ford responded, requesting a notarized bank statement to verify the payment. Weeks after Kromm provided the requested documentation, Ford announced his reinstatement with full back pay, amounting to approximately $33,000. However, Kromm refused the offer, citing the deep emotional toll and the absence of an apology.
"I couldn't go back because I was so deeply hurt. I worked with 8,500 people. I didn't get to say goodbye to anyone. I had worked there 11 years," Kromm said. "I had expected to work for Ford until retirement. I loved my job at Ford. I never thought it would end like this. It was like a second home. This was terrible."
(According to NYPost, AP)
